We'll Make It (I Swear)
by sweetkiwi604
Summary: When you have to fight for your life you learn the meaning of friendship, test your limits, and try not to lose who you once were. Merle/OC. Daryl/OC. Starts pre-ZA and will go into the show with my own twists.
1. Chapter 1

We'll Make It (I Swear)

"You will find as you look back on your life that the moments that stand out, the moments you have really lived, are the moments when you have done things in the spirit of love." - Henry Drummond

There wasn't much to do in their town but even if there was Tessa and Gabby would have found their way to the bar anyways. It might have been worn down with bad lighting and had more brawls than any other bar in town but it also had the best food, music, and it felt like home. It had been a long week at work and the need to unwind was high. It was meant to be an unofficial girl's night and Gabby had yet to tell Tessa what happened earlier in the day when Daryl showed up, sitting down next to Tessa. Gabby's attention went to the door, waiting for Merle to come strolling in behind him and take away that sliver of fear that had settled deep within her, but she realized after a few minutes that he wasn't there. Gabby hid her disappointment and ordered another drink. The three had been having casual conversation, mostly Tessa chattering on with Daryl adding the random word here or there until Gabby blurted out. "He's fucking someone else, isn't he?"

They both fell silent and Tessa's eyes went wide in shock at the random outburst. "Who? Merle?"

"Working late," Daryl told Gabby as he brought the beer to his lips and tipped it back.

Gabby mulled it over for a minute before she shook her head. "Working late my ass."

She pulled out a couple of bills from her pocket and slapped it on the bar before getting off her stool with the mind set of going to find Merle. It was easier to think he had been with someone else, direct her feelings into that, than deal with the memories that were clawing their way to the front of her mind. She took one step before Tessa was in front of her, a tongue in her cheek. "You're gonna do something dumb."

"Am not," Gabby argued. "Just enjoy the rest of the night with Daryl and I'll see you tomorrow."

Tessa crossed her arms over her chest as if she was ready to physically stop Gabby from leaving when Daryl came up from behind Gabby and grabbed her car keys out of her hand. She glared at him for taking away her means of leaving but he wasn't fazed. "Too much to drink to drive."

"Then I'll walk," Gabby pressed the subject, not willing to give up so easily. She had the day from hell, the nightmares from her past coming back to taunt her, and all she needed right this second was Merle.

"Five miles in the dark?" Tessa questioned, trying to get Gabby to see how pointless it was. "Sit and we'll order some food before the kitchen closes."

"Not hungry."

"I don't care."

Gabby and Tessa had a stare down until Gabby started to sway on her feet and Daryl grabbed a hold of her arm to keep her steady, guiding her back to her bar stool. Tessa sat on one side of her while Daryl sat on the other, clear now that Gabby wasn't in the right state of mind.

"You calm down and eat something and I'll take you to his job after," Tessa tried to reason with her, growing more concerned with what was really going on.

Gabby glared at them as hard as she could in an attempt to come across as intimidating before she sarcastically popped a peanut in her mouth. "I ate." She went to get up and but lost her balance again and Daryl righted her on the stool. She sighed in defeat and impatiently waited for the food. She couldn't help as her eyes went to the door again. "He really working late?"

Tessa looked over to Daryl, begging him with her eyes to say yes even if it wasn't the truth but there was no need. Daryl slightly nodded, "Was working on an old Camaro when I left the shop."

"He never works late," Gabby stated.

Daryl shrugged, "Said he had to finish it."

"No, I don't like this. Something isn't right."

Their food was placed in front of them and Tessa grabbed a fry to dip in the honey mustard. "Eat. Then we'll go from there." Gabby growled, quickly shoving food into her mouth to the point Tessa had to put a hand over the basket. Gabby glared at her with large, stuffed cheeks. "Chew your food, Gabrielle, or you're going to choke, and no one here is going to give you mouth to mouth or the Heimlich."

Gabby's eyes widened and she glanced over her shoulder to see Daryl smirking, bringing his bottle to his lips. "I ain't the one who's threatenin' you"

She chewed the rest of the food in her mouth and washed it down with the soda Tessa had, unknowingly to Gabby, replaced her drink with. She was too drunk to notice the difference and didn't need her judgment anymore clouded. She sneered at Daryl. "Fucking traitor."

He snorted in response and shook his head, finding the whole thing amusing. While Tessa and Gabby were arguing over who was going to eat the last chicken strip Daryl pulled out his phone and sent Merle a text telling him to come get Gabby and take her home. Not even ten minutes later Merle was through the door of the bar, concern replacing his usually hard features. Daryl had never asked him to come get Gabby before and he thought something was seriously wrong. He walked up behind them seeing Tessa and Gabby talking in hushed whispers and after a sweep of her body with his eyes his worry dropped a few notches. "Jack and coke. Hold the coke."

Gabby spun on her stool at the sound of his voice and his hand flashed out to keep her steady. She barely noticed his hand on her and she smacked him in the chest. "Where have you been?"

"What I answer to you now, darlin'?"

Tessa growled, still not okay with the eldest Dixon's way of going about things, and Gabby started laughing. Tessa narrowed her eyes and shot Gabby a look who held her hands up in surrender.

"You're just…so…adorable!" Gabby stuttered out through her laughter.

Tessa narrowed her eyes further, sick of how people said her growls sounded more like a cat's meow, and didn't notice Merle shooting his brother a questioning look over their heads. "This what you tell me to get down here for? Some sort of hen party?"

Daryl shook his head, watching the skepticism and anger in Tessa stay directed at Merle. He knew she was judging and waiting for a moment to catch him in a lie to protect her friend. Merle and Gabby had never come out and said they were in a relationship but it was quite clear to everyone else. "She was 'bout ready to hunt your ass down. Didn't wanna drive to see the fight. Been a long day."

Merle raised his eyebrow at Gabby who started to reign her laughter in. "There a reason you huntin' me down?"

Thoughts from earlier in the night were brought back to the front of her mind but she couldn't bring herself to tell him what really happened. "Yup."

Merle stared at her, waiting for her to continue. "I ain't a mind reader and I don't have time for games. So out with it."

Tessa glared at him for being blunt and Daryl pulled out a cigarette, settling in for the show. Gabby slid off her stool and stood in front of him, poking him hard in the chest. "What's her name?" Merle glanced over Gabby's head to Daryl in hopes for an explanation or even a clue and then to Tessa who was still glaring at him. Gabby poked him again to bring his attention back to her. "Who is she?!"

Merle grabbed her wrist, getting more agitated by the minute. "The fuck?"

Tessa was on her feet in a flash and grabbed his arm. "Don't touch her angry, Merle."

"Might wanna follow your own advice there, sweetheart," Merle warned, looking down at her.

"Hey, that's my friend!" Gabby growled, using her other hand to poke Merle in the chest again.

Merle grew angrier with each breath he took and Daryl sat up more, ready to step in if he had to. Gabby was beyond drunk, the events of the day too much for her to handle, and she couldn't get a hold of herself. After a shuddering breath a tear slipped down her cheek. "Never mind."

"See what you did!" Tessa yelled.

"Fuckin' Christ," Merle cursed, loosening his hold on her wrist but not letting it go. "Would someone like to tell me why the hell I was summoned to come get you or I'm going to walk right back out that door."

Gabby swiped at her tears as his word sifted through her mind. "Summoned?"

"The hell is wrong with you tonight?" Merle questioned, his eyes scanning her from head to toe before searching her eyes for the answers no one was giving him. He had never seen her so vulnerable before and he wasn't sure he particularly cared for it.

"J.D." Daryl muttered as if it would answer every question his brother had and

Tessa quickly snapped her eyes to Daryl, catching him off guard and causing him to raise an eyebrow at her.

"Who's J.D.?" Gabby cut in, her eyes shifting from Merle to Daryl.

Merle let out a boisterous laugh. "Oh, girlie, long day?"

Gabby looked over to Tessa and whispered through a sigh. "I'm so confused." Tessa could see Daryl's shoulders rolling with silent laughter. She finally put two and two together and started to laugh leaving Gabby in the dark. Gabby about stomped her foot. "What the actual fuck?!"

"Honey," Tessa tried to explain through her laughter. "J.D. is what you drank tonight. Jack Daniels."

Gabby stared at her friend for a second before turning back to Merle. "What does that have to do with you fucking someone else? Why are you working late all of a sudden, Merle?"

Merle tried to pull her off to the side but she rooted herself in place, liking the security of Tessa being right next to her. "Think I'm fuckin' someone?"

Gabby's fears of his answer overtook her and she barely whispered, "Are you?"

"Yes."

Tessa audibly gasped and Daryl raised an eyebrow in shock. Gabby about fell back on the stool when a smirk pulled across his face and just as Tessa was about to lay into him he put a hand on the bar on either side of Gabby, caging her in. "You."

Daryl relaxed, thankful for the minimal drama, and Tessa watched on with apprehension. Gabby blinked, caught off guard with his proximity, and his scent fogging her mind. "Then why were you working late?"

Merle reached for his drink behind her on the bar, downing the large glass and keeping his eyes on her. "Need the money."

"All of a sudden?" Tessa chirped from the side, her weight on one foot and her eyebrow raised, judgmental thoughts brewing in her head.

Daryl recognized the look on Tessa's face and stood up to move to her side. "Let it go."

"Not now, Daryl," Tessa snapped at him without a second glance, keeping her eyes on her friend and Merle just waiting for him to slip up.

Daryl stepped in front of her as a barrier between her rage and its target. Towering over her, he met her eyes. His tone was soft yet forceful as he growled in her ear. "This ain't about you."

"She is me," Tessa clipped before he even closed his mouth. The tone in her voice proved there was no room for argument and she would do whatever she had to for Gabby.

Watching her for a moment, he searched her face. "She's gotta fight her own battles," he told her, trying to stop the burning in her eyes.

Tessa suddenly remembered Merle's words about being summoned to the bar and got a glint in her eye. "That why you text him?"

"That's different," he brushed off her question but she didn't respond, just staring at him. "You gonna blink or somethin'?" When there was still no answer he challenged her. "You want her driving drunk?"

"You took her keys," Tessa easily argued.

"Think that would stop her or just slow her down?" Daryl questioned, having been around the two of them long enough to know once their minds were set it was unlikely anyone was going to change them.

Tessa was about to spit out another come back when she heard Gabby ask Merle. "Why do you need the money?"

"Now it's a problem a man wants to work?"

"It's a problem when that man doesn't tell the girl he's seeing," Tessa added in her two cents as she moved to stand in front of Daryl so that he wasn't blocking her view anymore.

"Ain't one to be kept on a leash, sweetheart," Merle responded, not bothering to glance over at the fiery redhead instead keeping his eyes glued to Gabby.

Gabby stared back at him as if they were the only two in the bar at the moment. "I want to believe you."

"Ain't that hard."

"Show me."

"I'm here, ain't I?"

"So?"

For the first time Merle dropped his gaze for a minute. "Thought ya was in trouble."

"She could have died." Tessa spoke up and all attention was on her. She shrugged off the stares. "Well you could have!" She defended herself. "Damn near inhaled our food so she could go find you and if Daryl hadn't taken her keys she would have gotten behind the wheel."

Merle looked back to Gabby waiting for an explanation and she shifted on her feet under his heated glare. "I had a bad day. Needed you to be here. You never work late and I thought the worst."

"Could've called."

"And show how bad I felt? Don't need your sympathy, Merle."

"That's why I was here," Tessa nodded to him with an all-knowing smile.

Merle snorted and met the redhead's gaze for a moment. "Girl, you think you would've been able to stop her?"

Growling and moving to pounce, Daryl caught her around the waist and began moving towards the door.

"Put me down!" Tessa struggled against his iron tight grip.

"I will. At home."

"We don't even live together!"

"What about my keys?!" Gabby yelled after them.

With Tessa pinned to his body with one arm he used his free hand to toss them to Merle who caught them mid air. Tessa glared up at Daryl half in annoyance, half in lust. "Is this necessary?"

He didn't answer as Gabby waved goodbye, "Night, Tess."

"Night, Gab…Merle, you better be nice or I will -" she was cut off as Daryl dragged her through the door.

Gabby smirked at the way her friend left before Merle cleared his throat in front of her. "You wanna tell me when you lost all that confidence, sweetheart? 'Cause I ain't 'bout to sit here for hours and build you back up."

"…what about for just one hour?" Gabby looked up at him through her lashes, trying to be cute and not have to tell him what happened but the look in his eyes told her otherwise. "Okay, okay."

"Get on with it."

She tried to look down but he grabbed her chin so she hand no choice but to keep eye contact. "Ain't ever seen you afraid to say what's on your mind."

"I like you," She admitted as her cheeks flushed in embarrassment.

He chuckled, not releasing her chin from his grasp. "Got that, darlin'."

"…like a lot. Like it scares me how much." Merle watched her, his face unreadable. "See! That's why I couldn't tell you! Because you don't like me like that and now I'm a fool and God why did I even say anything why wouldn't you want to go and sleep with someone else? Jesus I need a drink just forget I said anything," she rattled on quickly all in a single breath.

Merle smirked, unable to keep up with everything she said but enjoying how frustrated she was getting. "You've been hangin' with that friend of yours too much."

"What?" Gabby questioned, almost expecting to see a cloud of dust behind him as he bolted to the door.

"Can't follow a damn word you're sayin', darlin'."

"Figures." She mumbled and he claimed the stool Daryl had been occupying.

"Why do you think I came down here tonight?" He asked, all humor gone from his voice for the moment.

She knew what she wanted his reasoning to be but instead settled for a shrug. "Apparently Daryl told you to come."

He nodded and pulled her to stand between his legs. "Thought ya was in trouble."

"You've said that."

"Think if I was with another chick I would have come?" Gabby thought about it a minute and moved closer to him, leaning her head against his chest. He kept a hand on her lower back but otherwise didn't move. "Goin' to tell me what happened today that had you drinking to destroy?" His question

was soft, full of concern, and spoken right into her ear. It was almost enough for her to spill her secrets but she couldn't, not now, not ever. That was a part of her history that was supposed to have stayed buried.

"I don't know," she whispered loud enough for him to hear but squeezed her eyes shut at the memory.

Merle hummed a response in her ear, leaning back and rubbing a hand up her back to her shoulder and over it to cup her head at the jaw, making her face him. "Gotta better idea of how you can get your mind off things."

"You're talking about sex."

Merle smirked, his eyes darkening at the thought of her angelic body moving over him. "Talkin' is one thing I don't do durin' sex, sweetheart."

"Then let's get out of here," she smiled, a new sense of calm washing over her with the prospect of her being able to shut her mind down for awhile.

He paid and led her out to her car, pulling her keys from his pocket. She frowned, wanting to be pressed against him on the bike not sitting in a car with an arm rest between them. "We'll get my car tomorrow. Can't we take the bike?"

"Can barely stand straight. Don't need you falling off and putting us both out if the bike goes down."

She huffed in annoyance and crossed her arms, "I'm not that drunk."

"Don't matter, Daryl took it."

She looked around the parking lot, searching for the bike until she realized it was gone. "How'd he even get the keys?"

"Get in the car, darlin'."

"I'm not that drunk. How'd he get the keys?!"

"Gabby, get your ass in the car."

"No."

"Want me to leave you here?"

"I don't care."

"Fine." He moved as if he was going to leave and when she stumbled he tossed her over his shoulder. "No more whiskey for you. Stick to your girlie shit."

Merle wanted nothing more than to take her back to her place and bend her over the kitchen table but the longer he was with her the more he realized just how drunk she really was. He had seen her go tit for tat with him before when it came to drinking but this was different, this time he could see the storm clouds brewing in her eyes, and he found himself wondering what put them there. They were halfway back to Gabby's house when she wrapped an arm around her stomach. "Pull over."

"Almost there."

"Pull over, Merle!"

He thought she was going to get sick so he pulled off to the side of the road but instead she removed her shirt in one quick motion. She reached over and turned the car off, sitting topless in front of him.

"You care about me, Merle?" She didn't wait for a response. "Then fuck me." She needed this, she needed Merle to erase her demons from earlier, and if he denied her then everything she was told would be true.

"You're drunk."

Merle had fucked Gabby before without a second thought and his pants were straining at the idea but he felt like he was taking advantage of her. Something happened she was trying to forget by drinking. When that didn't work she had resorted to fucking and while he wanted to help her forget, to put all her pieces back together, he didn't want her to regret it in the morning. He started the car back up and pulled back onto the street. She pulled her shirt back over her head and kept her gaze out the passenger window so she wouldn't have to look at him. She fucked up. Worst day ever and now she was rejected on top of it.

"Ain't like I don't want to," He spoke up a few minutes later but she remained silent, the sting of rejection almost too much to bare. "You'll thank me tomorrow."

Merle kept stealing glances in her direction out of the corner of his eye. She was staring out the window with her arms crossed over herself in embarrassment as she tried to hide her face from him. He sighed and tightened his grip on the wheel for a second before continuing the drive to her house. He parked the car in her driveway and he turned the key killing the engine, allowing the air to suddenly go quiet. Neither one of them spoke as Merle spun the keys around on his finger. Gabby climbed out of the car, ignoring him, still hurt and wanting nothing more than to go inside and grab a beer then possibly call Tessa so she could grieve properly. She used the body of the car so she was able to walk around it no problem until she hit the lawn and stumbled. The door closed on the car behind her and Merle was there to catch her just like he always was.

"Don't need you Merle, go home." He grunted in response and didn't let up on his hold. She shoved him off and stumbled back. "I mean it."

"Fine. You get your ass up them stairs and to that door by yourself and I'll turn around now, sugar."

Gabby glared at him as she straightened her posture to prove to him that she didn't need him but as she turned she slipped on the grass and fell to the ground. "Fuck." She muttered, a few tears slipping out at hurt pride.

"That's what I thought," Merle sighed before he bent down and picked her up. He set her down on the porch, making sure she was holding on to the railing before he went to open the door. Merle worked the key into the lock only to be stopped by Gabby's grip on his shirt, drawing his lips to hers. Breaking them apart he looked down at her sympathetically, running his thumb along her bottom lip. "What'd I tell ya, girl?"

"You said you liked me, that you were worried something was wrong," she was grasping at straws at this point.

Watching her, he didn't move. He studied her face, seeing the war of emotions behind her eyes and the desperation around her mouth, as her lower lip trembled around the unspoken thoughts. "Get inside," he told her quietly, pushing the door open and nodding for her to move.

Gabby could barely keep the pain hidden, feeling as though she had now lost everything. She headed in, using furniture and walls to lead her into the kitchen, to the cabinet next to the sink, not bothering to grab a glass for the whiskey he banned her from earlier. Spinning the top off, she moved to tip the bottle back but it was snatched from her grip before any made it into her mouth, a few drops landing on her shirt.

"You don't need anymore of that shit."

She reached to take the bottle back but it was too far out of her reach. "Like you're one to talk about when someone is cut off."

"You want this?" Merle dangled the bottle precariously between his fingers as if he was offering her an answer to all her prayers. "Think it's going to fix you?"

She blinked at his question before she slid to the floor, pulling her knees up to her chest. "Just go home, Merle."

He walked out of the room and left the bottle on the table, out of her reach but still in sight. She heard the front door open and close and then nothing. It was then she finally let the tears fall that she had been holding and. She contemplated calling Tessa but it was late and she would feel like a bother. There was no reason to ruin her friend's night too.


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2

"You didn't need to carry me out of there like a child," Tessa huffed as she crossed her arms over her chest and popped her hip out to the side.

Daryl set the helmet on her head and straddled the bike waiting for her to get on.

"Comin'?" He watched as Tessa glanced back to the bar for a minute and couldn't help the small smile that was tugging at the corner of his mouth for her loyalty. "She'll be fine. Merle's an ass but he won't let nothing happen to her."

She stood there for another minute before she finally relented and swung her leg behind him. "So, where are we going?"

"Does it matter?"

They didn't drive for too long and when they pulled into his driveway Tessa got butterflies in her stomach. They had been seeing each other for some time now but the thought of the two of them being alone still had her feeling like it was all too good to be true. He held his hand out to help her off the bike and she removed the helmet, shaking her hair a bit as it fell back to its normal style. She hadn't even noticed how Daryl's eyes darkened when she did it and suddenly he was there, inches from her, their breaths mixing in the air between them.

He could see that look in her eyes that she got when she was about to say something to break the awkward silence but before she could he captured her lips with his own not wanting to ruin the moment with a comment that would have gotten lost with the wind. She responded immediately but her kisses became more powerful when she felt a hand entangle in her hair to keep her close. All thought left her and she focused on the man in front of her. His hands slid down to her ass where he cupped her, lifting her off the ground, causing her to wrap her legs around him. Easily supporting her weight, he carried her to the porch swing where he sat with her in his lap. His callused hand slid up the back of her shirt and held her close as he started trailing kisses down the side of her neck.

A breathy moan escaped as he lightly bit down on her pulse point before running his tongue over the assaulted area. His scent surrounded her, making her crave more. He smelt of leather, cigarettes, and something that was just so Daryl that she found herself grinding her hips into him. He smirked against her neck and set back to remove her shirt. She looked apprehensive at first but his voice washed over her like liquid honey. "Ain't no one but us out here."

He removed her shirt and tossed it to the side before pulling down the cup on her bra and taking her nipple in his mouth. She arched her back and he kept one hand behind her to make sure she didn't fall. He rolled the taut bud with his tongue, humming around it. "So damn sweet."

"More," she breathed out, rotating her hips again.

He smirked at how easily he could get her worked up, "Yes, ma'am."

He popped the hooks on her bra and slid the straps over her shoulders slowly until she was sitting on him completely bare from the waist up. She shivered from the cool night air but his mouth was on her again, washing away any coldness from the wind. She felt a coil building deep with in her the longer he trailed his lips over her porcelain skin, so much so that she couldn't help but slide a hand in her pants, circling her clit with her middle finger. The ministration was enough that it rubbed against his erection and a deep growl vibrated through his chest. He picked her up and set her on her feet. She withdrew her hand as she braced herself against his shoulders at the sudden movement and Tessa thought she went too far for a minute until she felt him ripping her pants down her legs taking her panties with them. He set her on the wooden porch railing and knelt between her legs to see her already drenched for him. "So beautiful," he muttered. He teased her with a few kisses to her thighs, his scruff scraping across her skin, to the point she was almost pushing his head between her legs longing for relief. He chuckled and she moaned at the feeling. He grabbed her hips to anchor her to the railing and started in on the dessert he had been waiting for since the bar. She was even more saccharine than he had remembered and he ran his tongue the length of her pussy as she tightened her hold on his hair.

His name spilt from her lips as an orgasm hit her so hard her vision went white for a minute. He stayed between her legs, taking everything she had to give him, until she started to come down. He kissed up her stomach, to her breasts, to the side of her neck, and finally her lips. She could taste herself on him and it aroused her more than she thought was possible. "Hold on," he gently told her and she grabbed his shoulders to balance herself as he undid his belt buckle and his jeans pooled around his ankles. He looked like an answered prayer standing in front of her and a new heat pooled between her legs.

"Daryl," she whispered in a plea of begging.

His eyes were almost completely black with lust as he wrapped his arms around her and in one swift movement she was slid onto him. They both breathed out at the feeling of being so deeply connected and they held still for a moment so she could get used to his size. He pinned her back against the post and thrust into her. Her nails bit into his skin as he found a rhythm that had her panting for more.

"So fucking tight," he grunted as the sheen of sweat across his brow from his exertion was illuminated in the moonlight. He grabbed her hips and shifted her as he thrust into her again at a new angle. She cried out and the sound traveled through the quiet of the night. She could feel herself getting closer to falling over the edge until he stopped moving completely.

"No, no, no, no...please, don't stop!"

He smirked as he sat back down on the porch swing still fully inside of her. She inhaled deeply at how well he filled her and she rocked her hips causing the whole swing to move giving her more leverage. She was in control or so she thought until he caught her nipple in his mouth again, letting it go with a wet pop. She growled and bounced on him so hard she was sure the swing was going to break.

"Cum for me, Tessa."

The simple request wasn't lost on her but the sound of her name as it rolled off his tongue was enough to push her over the edge. She cried out as the second orgasm of the night hit her harder than the first and he followed seconds later with whispered curses. She collapsed into him, completely spent, and he wrapped his arms around her, running his finger tips up and down her spine.

"Mine," the word was almost lost in the silence of the night.

She heard it though and smiled against his chest. "Yours."

**X-X-X**

Tessa and Daryl were lying in bed the next morning and he woke first. Looking down at her, he saw the layers of red hair covering her skin, the contrast drawing his eyes down to where the ends laid. He couldn't stop watching her. He pushed her hair off her arm and neck and began working his lips along her skin, making her move slightly.

"You up?" He breathed between placing his lips against her warm neck.

A small, sleep filled hum left her throat and she found herself pushing into his chest. He pulled her closer his hand working around her chest as he cupped a breast. Molding the soft skin, he started to run his arousal between her legs, allowing her juices to coat him, before he attempted to enter. Tessa hummed out a more agreeable tone certain now that she wasn't dreaming. "Daryl," she murmured, unable to even open her eyes from his touch.

His finger slipped between her legs and she moaned out a sound of relief. Turning her, he used his forearms to situate himself over her. "You ready?" He breathed looking down into her large, now open eyes.

She blinked as she took in his face. "No," she replied after a moment. Daryl's brow furrowed. "I owe you," she answered his unspoken question.

Moving them so she was straddling his stomach, she started her own work on his jaw, neck, chest, stomach, all the way down until her hands were slowly moving up and down his thighs and the only thing blocking him from a full view of her face was himself. Her eyes pierced his as she stared at him, trying to be as seductive as she could. She hesitated only a moment, her eyes flickering in concern at his risen member.

"There somethin' wrong?" He asked, the disappointment etching its way into his voice at her hesitation.

Without thinking or stopping her assessment of him, she blurted out, "I don't know if it's gonna fit."

Daryl sat up and pulled her face to his causing a surprised squeak to leave her throat as his lips claimed hers. After a sudden new found confidence, Tessa moved back down between his legs. With a long run of her tongue over his member, she licked her juices from him until she was smiling at his face over the top of him. His piercing blue eyes encouraged her to continue and she took him in her mouth as far as she could without gagging herself. Her mouth followed her hand as she pumped his cock, relaxing her throat a little more with each pass to allow him further. He warned her he was close but she needed to do this for him, she needed to give him the same attention he gave her, and she bobbed her head faster as the first spurt of cum hit the back of her throat. She swallowed it down easier than she thought she would have been able to and kissed her way up his body before placing a soft kiss to his lips.

"I'll start the coffee." She slipped off of him and dressed in the extra set of clothing she kept at his place.

It was the best night Tessa had in a long time but as she sat at the kitchen table her mind started to wander back to Gabby. Daryl came in a few minutes later with a cigarette hanging from between his lips and leaned against the kitchen counter, crossing his ankles as he watched her swish her coffee back and forth in her cup.

"You alright?" His voice was still full of sleep but the concern behind it made her smile.

"Just worried about Gab. She wasn't in the best place, mentally, yesterday and let's face it your brother is no Dr. Phil."

Daryl couldn't deny that even if he wanted to but he knew his brother felt differently about Gabby than he had any other woman he had ever been with. "Give her a call. I'm sure she's just hung over."

A knock at the door had Daryl moving from his spot but as usual Merle walked in without waiting for an answer. The customary amusement was gone from his features as he looked right at Tessa not bothering with pleasantries. "You might want to go see your girl."

Tessa straightened up in her chair, "What? Why?" She looked to Daryl for a second before returning her attention to Merle. "What's wrong?"

"I don't know what happened but it's fuckin' with her head. Spent the night on her front porch listenin' to her cry. When she stopped I went inside to see her passed out on the kitchen floor. Bottle of liquor smashed on the other side of the room."

**X-X-X**

Gabby stirred in her bed, noticing first and foremost her heart had taken up residency in her head and was now tearing down previous walls. Moving her face to bury it in the pillow, she groaned and suddenly recognized the thick, rich smell of marinara. She curled her legs into her chest and frowned at the fact that she wasn't wearing the jeans she had on the night before. Forcing herself to sit up on her shins, her hair stood up around her as though it were a lion's mane. Gabby turned to her right and saw Tessa sitting there with pizza boxes on the nightstand, a slice currently going into her mouth.

"Oh god."

"Mornin', boo."

"Stop yelling," Gabby whispered, staring at the pizza in her friend's hand. Tessa showed a paper plate with a fresh slice on it and offered it to Gabby. "You want me to throw up don't you?"

Tessa rolled her eyes. "No, fool, I'm offering you the food of gods. Take it or die."

Gabby glared at her for a minute before she took the pizza and adjusted herself so that she was seated on her ass, still facing the headboard and Tessa. "Where are my pants?"

"Well, you know how much I enjoy your ass. Couldn't leave it all covered in stupid pants."

"Merle?"

Tessa sighed as she took a sip from her soda. "Yeahhhhhh. He says I can't remove your clothes unless it 'gets good'."

Gabby nodded, knowing that sounded exactly like something Merle would say and welcomed the silence for a bit as her head pounded in protest from the night before. "I don't remember climbing into bed."

"You didn't."

"I wasn't that drunk."

"Yeah and I'm hung over."

"Really?!" Gabby perked up at the idea that for the first time since she had known her, her friend would finally suffer from a night of drinking.

"No. But you were completely wasted which means one of two things. Well...three things actually. One, you were on a mission to find and fuck a man with no attachments. Except you have Grumpy so I doubt that was it."

"Tessa, leave it alone."

She rattled on and ignored her friend's request to drop it because she needed to get to the bottom of this. "Two, you were trying to forget an asshole who did you wrong. And while Merle may not be the world's sweetest peach, he likes you, you like him, and you two do right by each other in your own ways. And I respect that." Gabby visibility swallowed at her friend's confession and the realization of what was coming next. "Or finally…something happened. Something that is really bad, or something that really hurt you. And you're the strongest, most stubborn person I know. So shit doesn't just get to you."

Gabby set her pizza down and avoided Tessa's line of sight. "I think I'm going to be sick."

"That's fine." Tessa wasn't going to give up until she knew what happened. "Throw up, brush your teeth, and then bring your ass back to bed. We have a busy day of pizza, movies, and confessions."

Gabby cracked open the can of ginger ale sitting on her side of the bed and took the smallest of sips, grimacing when she could still taste the whiskey from the night before. "You think I'm just going to tell you what happened last night."

Tessa simply took another bite of her pizza and nodded her head. "Hell yeah, especially if you wanna hear about my slutty escapades."

"Wait, what?"

"Sharing is caring, doll, and your name got picked first. So either throw up and come back to bed, or start talking. Either way, you're mine until further notice."

Gabby pushed the plate of pizza over and leaned against the headboard, massaging her temples. "So...you and Daryl last night?" She could practically feel Tessa fighting the urge to smile. "Good for you."

"Don't change the subject." Tessa blushed as last night and earlier that morning ran through her mind. "And eat. Gotta soak up some of that alcohol."

Gabby picked a small piece of crust off and popped it in her mouth, chewing more times than necessary before swallowing in fear of getting sick. "Should call work they're expecting me in a few hours."

"You're avoiding the subject again."

Gabby sighed and closed her eyes for a minute.

_If Marie hadn't asked to switch shift she would have never saw him but she supposed that was how fate worked. He didn't even have to say anything but the moment she saw him she dropped everything she was holding. The noise made him turn his head and he smiled, winking at her as he continued on his way. She fumbled to gather her things and once she got in her car she sat there for a minute trying to remember how to breathe. She wondered how after a decade he was able to bring that same fear back to her and she headed to the bar to shove them back down. _

"He's back."

She didn't have to even say a name and Tessa's face was set as hard as stone. "He say anything to you?" Gabby tried to remember that high school was ten years ago but ever since she saw him it was like she was stuck back in those hallways, in those darkened stairwells cloaked in the shadows while he promised it would be quick if she kept her mouth shut. He had it drilled into her mind that what he was doing was showing her what love was, that no one else would ever be able to love a piece of trash, and she believed it at the time because she needed to be accepted. Tessa was eerily silent as her blood began to boil, watching Gabby's eyes glass over with the memories from the past. "He's not going to come near you again, Gabrielle." She waited for her to meet her eyes but Gabby never did. "Look, go take a nice, long bath and soak until the water is cold and the world is less intense. He's not going to break you again."

There was only one reason Tessa hated people from her high school and this guy was it. Tessa vowed to never forgive him for what he did to Gabby in the past, and now with his return to town, he was already breaking her friend. Driving to the place she knew he would be, she quickly pulled out her phone.

"Yeah?" Came the grunt on the other line.

"You're going to want meet me."


	3. Chapter 3

**Trigger warning **

Chapter 3

The sound of laughter didn't escape her as she walked into the country themed bar. Not even needing to direct her eyes, she moved quickly to where Pete was standing near the pool table. "Well, look at you, Tessa. Stoppin' in to say-"

Without a word she pulled her arm back and snapped her fist directly into his jaw, making him stumble.

"Who the fuck do you think you are coming back here?" She snarled at him.

Glaring back at her, he tested his jaw with his hand before he slammed down his beer and moved to tower over her. Tessa didn't flinch or show any sign of fear due to her rage and she was ready to shove him when he let out a sneer of a laugh. "See that a fiery temper comes with the fiery hair."

Placing her hands on his chest, she shoved as hard as she could but this time he was ready for it. He reached forward and latched a hand onto her arm, pulling her towards him with a raised hand.

"You really gonna hit a woman?" Someone barked from the door of the bar.

"This don't concern you, Dixon," he snapped back, his grip tightening on Tessa's arm.

Coming up to the two of them, Merle wrapped a large hand around Pete's wrist almost challenging him to make another move. "I'm only gonna tell you to let her go one more time."

Pete, not knowing Tessa or Gabby's relationship with the Dixons, laughed again. "Don't waste your time on this one, Merle. She's about a big a piece of trash as that little friend of hers."

Mentioning Gabby was the worst thing he could have done and Merle laid Pete out with one strong punch to the jaw. He leaned over him and pointed a finger in his face. "Stay away from her, you hear? Both of 'em."

**X-X-X**

Pete was always one to twist the truth so that it worked in his favor and now was no different as he had called the police, saying Tessa assaulted him. There were a few witnesses that confirmed his story when he told the cops it was her alone that she was sure he had paid off. Merle had gone to say something but Tessa shot him a look knowing of his already thin line with the law. The cuffs were around Tessa's wrists before she was set in the cruiser and put in a holding cell at the station. Tessa leaned her head against the bars and blinked as Merle came walking through the door. She would have laughed at the reversed roles if it wasn't for her currently avoiding the stares of the other man in the cell next to her.

"The hell were you thinkin'?" He questioned, making her pull her head away from the metal.

She simply shrugged, not regretting for a second what she had did, "He deserved it."

"He do something to you?" Tessa didn't look at him instead continued to stare at the wall. Realization hit Merle like a tidal wave, his voice coming out as if it were pure fire. "Gabby. He the reason she's fucked up." Tessa snapped her eyes back to his face at the tone of his voice. Seeing the concern and change in his eyes, she sighed and ran a hand through her hair. He shook his head. "You shouldn't have done that."

"He doesn't get to get away with what he did."

"Ain't your responsibility to protect her."

"Yes. It is."

He eyed her, seeing the determination and loyalty. "You put yourself in trouble like that again, I'll kick your ass my damn self."

"That's fine. You hurt her like he did, and I'll fucking kill you." There was a beat of silence before she motioned to his hand. "What are you going to tell her for why your hand is messed up?"

"Tell her that I did it saving your dumb ass," he answered, flexing his fingers with the urge to hit Pete again.

"Whatever," Tessa sighed, leaning her head back against the cool metal bars. When he made no other comment she began to wonder what he was waiting for. "So, are you going to bail me out or just stand there lecturing me all night?"

A smirk spread across Merle's face and the spark was back in his eyes. "Sorry, sweetheart," he said as he scratched his chin, "but I got a hurt woman I gotta go handle."

"You're going to leave me in here?!" Her question came out a few octaves higher than she meant it to in surprise and cleared her throat before almost pleading with him. "Come on, Merle, you know how grabby Moe gets." Moe spit at her from the bench on the wall across the cell and she shifted on her feet. "I will cut you, Moe."

Merle chuckled at the look of disgust on her face and shook his head. "Nah, don't worry. Your ride is here."

Tessa didn't understand what he was talking about until the door opened and in walked Daryl with a scolding glare directed straight at her.

"Aww hell," she muttered under her breath.

Daryl spoke low to the cop that was sitting at the desk and after a few minutes and some signed papers the cop came over to unlock the cell. "Stay available, Miss Dawson."

Tessa rolled her eyes at the cop before flashing Daryl an innocent smile. He just shook his head, leaving her and Merle to follow. They got out to the parking lot and Merle left to head to Gabby's while Daryl got into the cab of the truck. Tessa climbed into the passenger seat and his silence was starting to make her worry.

"I had a reason, it's not like I go around looking for trouble," she tried to explain but he kept his gaze on the road in front of him, not even glancing in her direction. Tessa let out a long breath, "He hurt Gabby. What if the rolls were reversed?"

"Shoulda come to me."

She was relieved he was at least speaking to her now and went to reassure him. "I didn't show up there alone. I called Merle to meet me." He had gone silent again and she sighed with a pout. "I'm sorry."

"Stop with the face. I'd expect this from Merle. Not you."

Tessa turned in her seat so that she was facing him, "Whoa, whoa, whoa. What the hell does _that_ mean?"

He shook his head, "Nothin'."

**X-X-X**

There was no doubt Merle Dixon had a nasty temper on him but there were the few rare occasions he could bottle his rage and hone it in. Stopping by to see Gabby earlier had solidified in his mind that something needed to be done with Pete. He wasn't sure what the prick had done but seeing Gabby on autopilot set him on edge. One of the things that attracted her to him in the first place was her strength and to see her so vulnerable unleashed something inside of Merle fiercer than he had ever felt before. Pete came into the bar like he knew he would, his face a beautiful reminder of their encounter earlier. Pete sat at the far end and Merle moved so he was sitting beside him, motioning for the bartender and ordering two shots. Pete cocked an eyebrow, surprised at the gesture.

Merle smirked, setting his plan in motion. "Ain't going to hold a grudge over some pussy."

The bartender set the shots down and they both downed them. Pete chuckled, "Hear that."

Merle ordered another round but this time left his shot on the bar as he opted for his beer. "So, you know that fire crotch that was in here before?"

"Nah. Not really. She was friends with my girl back in the day."

Merle nodded, downing the shot at the man's words to keep his temper in check for the time being. "Didn't know you had a ball 'n chain."

"Not for awhile. Left her ass for something better first chance I got," Pete shook his head with a chuckle. "Lemme tell you though…bitch knew how to let out those screams."

Merle nodded with a forced scoff covered chuckle and he leaned back on his stool, taking the guy in. Putting the palm of his hand on his thigh, he smirked. "Been known to have a screamer or two myself."

He raised a brow, waiting for Merle to continue. When he didn't, Pete indicated to the bartender for more shots, loving that he was able to reminisce. "Bitch broke easy enough. Fought it at first and fuck if that wasn't hot but I put out that flame real quick. Was like my little pet when I was finished with her." He glanced over his shoulder to make sure no one was close enough to overhear before leaning towards Merle. "Trick is to make them think they ain't going to get anything better…make them think you love them and all that girly shit they are just dyin' to hear." He set back and took another shot, smirking around the glass. "Piece of trash even stopped wearing belts so I couldn't bind her wrists with it. Dumb cunt. Just used my own."

Against everything, and wishing he couldn't, Merle started to imagine it. He thought about the times they had been together and to see her blue eyes so full of fear and imagining her being touched like that by this asshole brought his blood to such a high boil that his vision was starting to cloud. Merle downed the shot and nodded his head towards the pool table, suggesting that the two men play a few rounds because at least then he could beat him at something.

Pete agreed but had mistaken Merle's company that night for a new friendship and the more he drank the more stories he would tell about Gabby. It wasn't until he was talking about the time he made her bleed that Merle was ready to rip him to shreds. He thought about killing him, it wouldn't matter if he got thrown back in prison if the man was dead, but before his mind could completely go down that road Pete asked, "How'd you know that bitch from earlier?"

"My brother's girl."

Pete drunkenly nodded as if he understood. "Gotta say. Thought your brother had better taste."

Merle sunk his shot, winning the game, and took in how intoxicated Pete was getting. "One more?"

Pete considered it for a moment before deciding otherwise. "Nah. I'm done, man."

Merle watched as he stumbled out the door and waited a moment before following him out. The parking lot wasn't full but there were too many around and as Pete tried to make his way to his car Merle grabbed the back of his shirt, tossing him into the alley. Pete caught himself on the brick wall and went to swing at Merle but missed in his drunken state.

"They ain't warm and willin' you stop," Merle slammed him up against the wall hard enough to knock the air out of his lungs. Pete tried to mutter out an explanation but Merle wasn't about to sit and listen to the petty excuses.

"It was years ago!" Pete pleaded with Merle to stop but it only infuriated him further. How many times had Gabby begged Pete to stop and he hadn't listened?

Merle's fist collided with the side of Pete's face so many times his knuckles split from the impact. The only reason he was still standing was because Merle was holding him to the wall but the second he let go Pete crumpled to the ground like the sack of shit he was. Merle's boot pressed against his chest and pinned Pete to the ground. "Gabrielle is off limits," he put more pressure on his chest and Pete struggled to breathe. "I hear you even looked at her I'll make sure you're begging for death, you hear?"

He punched him one more time for good measure before leaving the man crying in pain behind him. He headed back to Gabby's for the night but found her already asleep. It was for the best really. He wasn't sure what he would say to her anyway. He felt his temper rising again at what she had been through and had to force himself to sit on the edge of the bed. As he pulled off his boots a small smile played on his lips. His girl had been through hell and survived.

**X-X-X**

Gabby stood behind the counter doing a crossword as she impatiently waited for her shift to be over. She wasn't even supposed to be there but it seemed everyone had been calling out recently. The bell on the door chimed letting her know someone entered and she looked up for a second until she saw it was only Daryl. She went back to trying to figure out what four down was until he came back to the front of the store with a soda and some snacks. She grabbed a pack of cigarettes without him having to ask and started to ring him up. "Hey, you think you can give my car an oil change? Was thinking about getting out of town for a few days."

He shrugged as he pulled his wallet out, "Sure."

"Thanks. Open road, music, just Tessa and I…think it would do some good to clear my head."

Daryl tore the plastic from the cigarettes and handed it to Gabby to toss out. "I don't mind doing the oil chance but Tess needs to stay in Lilburn."

"Why?" Gabby's face scrunched in confusion. "Look it's great y'all are together but you need to share."

He snorted as he gathered up his things to leave. "She's the dumbass who went and got herself arrested for assault."

"What?!" Gabby nearly shrieked. "Who the fuck did she assault?!"

**X-X-X**

Gabby almost couldn't wait for her shift to be over and the second it was she was over to the preschool where Tessa worked. She burst through the door to see Tessa singing 'Head, Shoulders, Knees, and Toes' with the kids. "It's a real good thing you're bent over right now, red, because I'm about to shove my foot so far up your-"

"Free time!" Tessa cut her off, watching as the kids scattered to their favorite toys before turning to Gabby. "Seriously?"

Gabby was sure half the kids had worse at home but she was going to keep those comments to herself. "Hall, now."

Tessa walked out to the hall but left the door open so she could hear the kids. "What's the matter, Gab?"

"Oh, nothing. I was just thinking about taking a road trip. Me and you. Get out of town for a few days. Except I find out you can't go anywhere because you were arrested for assault!"

Tessa peeked her head into the classroom before closing the door. "Jesus Christ. What did Merle tell you?"

Gabby tilted her head in confusion, "Merle knows?"

"He was there."

"Was where?!" Gabby all but demanded. She felt as if they all had some big secret she was being kept out of and it pissed her the fuck off.

"I went to see Pete." Gabby's mouth fell open and she stared at Tessa, unable to say a word. "Gab?"

Gabby took a step back, her voice coming out just above a whisper, "What did you do?"

Tessa mirrored her actions and tried to close the space between them so she could comfort her friend. "Look, he had no right to show up and-"

"What did you do?" Gabby made sure to emphasize every word, her anger about to hit an all time high. "Damn it, Tessa!" Angry tears rimmed Gabby's eyes but she refused to let them fall. "Merle doesn't know about Pete or what he did and I planned on keeping it that way."

"I didn't tell him!" Tessa promised. "He showed up when we were talking. Pete got a little hands on and Merle stepped in."

Gabby shook her head with a scoff. "Then how were you the one arrested? Jesus Christ, Tess. He ain't worth it."

"It's not like Merle's record isn't town knowledge, Gabby. If he went back, who does that help? Merle makes you happy, right?" Gabby glared at her with pursed lips but Tessa wasn't going to drop it without an answer. "Right?"

She finally relented and gave a small smile thinking about her Dixon. "You know he does."

"Then me being behind bars instead of him was worth it."

"You're an idiot, you know that? I love you for wanting to protect me but-"

"But nothing," Tessa waved her off with a smirk. "Now I have to go make sure Kelly isn't eating the paste…again. We'll do dinner tonight at the bar?"

"Alright."

"Good. I can tell you all about how I punched Pete in the face," Tessa opened the door and winked over her shoulder to Gabby before stepping into the classroom. "Jillian! What did we say about painting the other kids?"

There was a squeal of surprise and then a fearful, "I didn't!"

"You literally have red paint on your hands!"

The door closed and Gabby could hear Tessa continuing to argue with the four year old. She chuckled to herself as she went to leave, "Dear God I am already afraid for your future children."

**X-X-X**

"How was the rest of the day with the rugrats?" Gabby questioned later that evening as they sat at their usual table next to the window. The bar wasn't as crowded as it usually was for this time of day but they weren't going to complain.

"Not many of them there. Same shit as every year with the start of the school year. They'll build up their immune systems and be fine."

Gabby nodded and took a sip of her drink. "Whatever it is, it's going around. Marie and Leon both called out for the rest of the week already. Something about crazy high fevers." There was a beat of silence until the inevitable couldn't be avoided anymore. "So…you hit Pete?"

"I did."

Gabby wanted to be pissed but there was a part of her that was jealous she never had the strength to do it herself. "We're not in high school anymore. Shit like that is what gets you arrested."

"He deserved it."

"You keep saying that but you don't even know what he did."

"Well, he doesn't need to do much more than exist," Tessa easily answered. No, she might not have known if he pulled anything since he had been back in town but she remembered high school like it was yesterday and had vowed to never let anyone tear Gabby down like that again.

"Is that why Daryl hasn't been around much?"

"…he's whatever. He didn't get why I did it, and I'm not just gonna put all that out there for him. And he's pissed. So, either he gets over it or he doesn't. It's whatever." Tessa sipped her beer and looked out window trying to maintain her composure. She took another sip and stared down at it angrily. She wanted to change the subject, she couldn't keep thinking of Daryl or her walls would come down, so she cleared her throat. "Seen Merle recently?"

"Not since the other morning, woke up and he was in bed with me snoring his ass off," Gabby stole a fry off of Tessa's plate and dipped it in some ketchup. "Dixons, huh?"

Tessa grunted causing the both of them to bust out laughing. Tessa slapped Gabby's hand as she went for another fry and swallowed her pride, "So, what'd he say to you?"

Gabby raised an eyebrow, not exactly sure who she was asking about. "Daryl?"

"Yeah," Tessa nodded, wondering if he was still upset about her being arrested. She didn't want to piss him off anymore than he already was so she had kept her distance but Daryl wasn't one to chase anyone down and she started to let her insecurities get into her head.

Gabby shrugged, "Just that I couldn't kidnap you."

"Well, he doesn't own me. I say you can kidnap me all you want."

"Did you forget you got arrested?"

A guy behind the bar turned the television up as a special news report came across the screen talking about the new illness that was spreading. He went to give emergency information but the station cut out and the only thing on the television was snow.

"Told Gary he needed to replace that TV," Gabby shuttered at the words of the reporter before it cut off. "And I'm bathing in Purell tonight."

"I'm going to start wearing a bubble around all those damn kids. And so what if I got arrested. They said stay close. They didn't say _how_ close. We could take a trip up north and visit my parents."

Merle came through the bar doors like the devil himself had sent him on a mission. He strode right over to the table and pulled Gabby to her feet by her wrist. Tessa went to yell at him but there wasn't anger in his eyes only determination and a fierce protectiveness.

"What's wrong?" Gabby questioned, almost sure she could hear the beat of his heart against his chest.

He started to drag her toward the exit, "Don't you answer your fuckin' phone anymore? You're always on that damn thing."

"We turned them off."

He growled, not relenting his hold on Gabby and Tessa began to worry. "What's going on?" She followed closely behind the two, never having seen Merle like this before. "Did something happen to Daryl?"

"Y'all need to come with me right now."

Tessa shot her worried gaze to Gabby's face at Merle's lack of answer. They were already in the parking lot and heading to Gabby's car. She licked her lips, "I'm sure you're overreacting. Just sit down and have a drink."

Merle practically threw Gabby into the passenger seat of her car, leaning in so that their eyes locked. "Head to Daryl's. Don't stop for _anything_, you hear me?"

"Merle, I-"

"Go. Now. I'll follow on the bike."


	4. Chapter 4

**Just a little reminder that I am changing some things around but I'll still touch on the major points of the show. Hope you're enjoy and would love to hear what you think :)**

Chapter 4

Gabby still wasn't sure what he was getting on about but wasn't wiling to fight the dangerous look on his face. She handed Tessa her keys and buckled her seatbelt as she watched him start the bike up. "Do you think…"

"I don't know."

Tessa swallowed and started the drive to Daryl's just as confused. Gabby pulled her phone out, fumbling to turn it on to see just how many calls she had missed. Most were from Merle but there were a few from her parents as well. She tried to call them back but the call wouldn't go through. It wouldn't even let her check the voicemails she had waiting for her. She fought the urge to freak out, pushing it down to convince herself she was overreacting and only working herself up.

"So," Tessa started, flashing her eyes to the rearview mirror to check on Merle before glancing down at her own phone. "How many…how many calls did you miss?"

Gabby rolled her phone between her hands, "Too many."

"I'm sure everything is fine…" Tessa tried to reassure her but truth was she said it more to convince herself than anything.

"…everything feel fine to you?"

Tessa looked to Gabby for a brief moment before she faced the road again and regripped the wheel. "If I said I'm starting to get scared is that bad?"

Gabby shook her head, turning in her seat to make sure Merle was still behind them. It didn't matter that she could hear the peel of the engine. She saw it even if it was just for a millisecond, she saw the fear, and there wasn't anything that scared Merle Dixon. "We'll get to Daryl's and figure this out."

"What if something already happened to him? You think he's okay?"

"He's a Dixon. He's fine." Tessa opened her mouth to argue but Gabby didn't give her the chance. "Merle wouldn't have left him at the house if something was wrong."

"I guess."

"You don't think so?"

"I don't know…"

"Tess, come on. You really think he wouldn't have told you?"

Tessa's voice cracked and drug over her words. "I can't get a hold of my parents, Gabby. It's not even going through."

"I know. Mine won't either. We can't freak out, yet. Could just be something with the cell towers."

Tessa pulled into Daryl's driveway and they saw him throwing camping gear in the back of his truck. They sat there for a moment, now more confused than ever.

"The fuck?" Gabby questioned, in whisper of disbelief.

Tessa shrugged, feeling just as lost. "I have no clue." She turned the engine off, unbuckled and climbed out of the car. "Daryl?"

He faced her, a mix of relief and anger washing over his features as he continued to load the pile of equipment sitting on the porch into the truck. "The hell you been?"

"What's going on?" Tessa asked Daryl, hoping he would give an answer his brother had yet to give.

"We've been lookin' all over town for your ass and you wouldn't answer damn phone." Daryl focused on her question for a minute before pushing it from his mind. "We don't have time for this shit. We gotta go."

The lack of answers frustrated Gabby to the point she brought her fist down on the hood of her car. "Will someone tell us what the fuck is going on?!"

"Shit out of a horror movie…whole new meanin' to cannibalism," Merle finally answered as he took one end of a heavy box to help Daryl lift it into the bed.

"You guys aren't making any sense," Gabby growled, still standing next to her car as the Dixons worked as if the world was coming to an end. "If someone doesn't tell me what the hell is going on, I'm not going anywhere."

Merle snorted and shook his head, feeling back to his normal self now that he knew where Gabby was and that she was safe. "You don't got a choice."

Tessa wandered over to where Daryl was and Gabby crossed her arms like a petulant child. "This is fucking ridiculous. You expect me to believe all this?"

Merle passed her and took the handgun and ammo Daryl was handing him. "Don't care what you believe. We're leaving."

"To go where?!"

"Atlanta," he simply replied, rearranging some of his things in the saddle bag to make everything fit.

She followed him over and crossed her arms over her chest, "How long?" When he didn't answer she let out a deep breath resisting the urge to kick him over while he was crouched down. Gabby thought about it and at this point it was just going to be easier to go along with what he wanted than for her to fight him on it and him end up winning anyway. "Fine. But I need to run over to my parent's house quick."

"We ain't makin no stops, sweetheart. We're goin' straight to the city," he stood up and let his eyes scan the yard.

Gabby tried to follow his line of sight, wondering what he was looking for, but wasn't about to back down on this. "I'm not leaving without checking on them."

"You got shit in your ears or you just playin' dumb? I said we're not goin'."

Tessa came to stand next to Gabby and cut into their conversation before it could become an argument. "Fine. Let's compromise. Gabby and I will go see her parents. Make sure they're okay, and we will meet you both in Atlanta. Good?"

"Ain't safe," Daryl answered as the last bag was tossed into the bed of the truck.

"Well, I'm not going until I see them," Gabby refused to back down. Merle wanted to take her on some adventure with no return date than fine she would let him do what he wanted but there was no way in hell she wasn't going to check on her family first.

"And I'm not going without her," Tessa added. She was worried about her own parents as well but they lived over fourteen hours away so it wouldn't be as easy to go check on them.

Merle looked ready to leave both of them behind and his eyes flashed to Daryl's for a minute, a silent conversation passing through them. "We leave now."

"What about our stuff?" Gabby questioned, feeling at least a little better that he was giving her the opportunity to run to her parents first.

Merle nodded his head in the direction of the vehicle, "It's in the truck."

"All of it?" Tessa asked, shocked they would have anything for either girl at all.

"Everything you need," Daryl barked back a response, quickly stalking to the other side of the truck and making sure everything was secure and in order.

"Get your ass in the truck so we can leave," Merle snapped, losing his patience quickly.

Gabby walked over to stand in front of him, "I'm riding with you."

He immediately shook his head, "Safer for you in the truck."

She stared at him, "If you want me to believe there is real danger out there then I'm riding with you. Not going to feel safe anywhere else."

Merle looked down at Gabby ready to toss her ass over his shoulder and put her in the truck himself but something held him back. He let out a long breath and made sure to lock eyes with her so she knew he wasn't messing around. "If I tell you that you gotta ride in that truck because I need you to, you don't argue. Got it?"

"I told you. I feel safe with _you_."

"Feelin' safe and bein' safe are two different things."

"Don't care."

Merle ran a hand over his face and suppressed the growl that threatened to escape. "Get whatever shit you need from your car and park it on the street."

She looked over her shoulder to see Tessa already in the passenger seat of the truck and moved her car like Merle asked. It all felt surreal like she was going to wake up at any minute and this would all be some big joke. She wasn't exactly sure what they were getting into but if the knot in the pit of her stomach had anything to say about it then it wasn't good. Merle pulled the bike up next to her car and held his hand out to steady her as she swung her leg over.

**X-X-X**

Hearing about the nightmare and actually seeing it was two very different things. Daryl and Tessa stayed outside while Gabby wasted no time in busting through the front door to seek her parents out. A snarl that sounded like something she had never heard before brought her attention to the kitchen. She moved slow, unsure of what could have made the noise, when she turned the corner to see her mother leaning over her father, a huge chunk of flesh still in her mouth as her mother looked up at her. Gabby froze in her spot as blood from her father's neck dribbled down her mother's chin and her mother's eyes were lifelessly clouded over. Her mother realized there was fresh food in the room now and made a move towards her daughter. Gabby didn't have time to scream, to cry, to even figure out what to do or how to feel when Merle swooped in. He had shot Mrs. Mitchell straight through the heart but it only pushed her back a bit before she kept coming toward Gabby. A shot between the eyes finally brought her down and Merle threw Gabby over his shoulder when she refused to move from her spot. He set her down once they were outside and pushed her towards the truck but she shook her head, climbing onto the back of the bike. He expected her to be clingy, to have been crying, or even upset that he had by any other standard just killed her mother but if it wasn't for her thighs pressed up against him he wouldn't have even know she was there.

Their trip to Atlanta was taking longer than they had hoped and they ended up in a gridlock on one of the main highways. It was clear they weren't going to be moving anytime soon but the Dixons didn't trust the people that were surrounding them. Daryl told Merle to catch the first few hours of sleep and then they would switch if the cars hadn't started moving yet.

"Think we're actually going to get there?" Tessa asked Daryl as she kept her gaze on the dashboard of the truck.

Daryl slightly shrugged his shoulder, pulling a cigarette out of its pack with his teeth and lighting it. He took a long drag letting the nicotine fill his lungs before answering. "Don't know."

She picked at a fray in her jeans, worrying about her friend in the back, "What do you think they saw in that house?"

Daryl's eyes swept the cars around them. "Nothin' good."

Gabby was curled up in the bed of the truck just staring at the side of it. She was so sure her family would still have been there, the news reporter had just told them of the outbreak, and she couldn't understand how things had gotten so bad so quickly. It was a fear Gabby wasn't able to describe and she had basically shut down from that moment on because it was easier to feel nothing than everything all at once. She felt Merle shift beside her and then his hand was on her breast, pawing at it. Gabby shoved his hand off, not bothering to turn around. A second later and his hand was on her breast again, pinching her nipple through her clothes. "Not now."

"Yes, now." He grabbed her chest more forcefully this time, dragging her closer to him so that her back was against his chest. He wasn't going to let her do this, not with everything that had happened recently, he needed to break into her mind the only way he knew how without alcohol.

"Fuck off, Merle." She grounded out in a monotone voice.

He hummed a response and slid his hand from her breast down to her stomach and popped the button on her jeans. She tiredly swatted at his hand but didn't move away from him and he threw a blanket over the two of them, closing them into their own little world, before continuing his assault. He leaned closer, pressing his lips against the side of her neck at her sweet spot just below her jaw line. Any other time she would have melted into him but pure rage surged through her as she pushed away from him and turned to hit him in the chest. "I said fuck off." He just stared at her with an all knowing smug smile on his face and she lashed out hitting him again. Anger he would take, hate, any of it as long as she wasn't the shell that had been riding behind him earlier that day. Merle grabbed her wrist as she reeled back for a third time and he could see the pain in her eyes. "Right now? You wanna fuck me, right now? When all I can hear is the screams. All I can see is the blood. And you wanna fuck me?"

Merle yanked on her arm so that she tumbled back into his chest and caught her lips with his own shutting her up. She fought for a moment to get out of his grasp but he refused to let her go, sliding his hand in her pants and sinking a thick finger in her without warning. She gasped as he moved his finger in a circular motion and used his thumb to tease her clit. "Stop fightin' it."

"Merle…" she went to protest and he inserted another finger cutting her off. He could feel her body betraying her words and he flicked her clit with his thumb making her clench around his fingers. "I can't…" Gabby didn't want to allow herself to feel anything, how selfish would she be to fuck him in the back of the trunk when her family was literally just torn to shreds in front of her eyes.

"Don't think about it."

He pumped his fingers bringing her closer to the edge he was ready to push her over and when her mouth fell open he kissed her to swallow the moan that was sure to follow. She laid there for a minute to catch her breath and saw him licking her juices off his fingers. She moved to undo his belt buckle to return the favor but he pushed her back to her own side of the truck.

Gabby stared at him in confusion, feeling a bit rejected, but he simply put his hands behind his head and closed his eyes. "Get some sleep, darlin', been a long day."

She curled onto her side and watched as his chest rose and fell with every breath.

**X-X-X**

Gabby woke facing a row of bags and supplies in front of her. Wrinkling her brow, it took her a moment to remember what had happened. Sitting up and stretching, she looked beside her to where Tessa was holding a large black crossbow against her upraised knees.

"Starting to wake up to you more than I am Merle," Gabby yawned.

Winking at her friend, Tessa smiled good-naturedly. "You got a problem with that, sweetheart?" she replied, doing her best to imitate Merle's voice.

Snorting, Gabby scooted back against the wall of the truck and next to her friend. "Is that Daryl's?"

"Yeah."

"Are you allowed to touch it?"

Tessa rolled her eyes before facing her friend. "You just woke up and already you're thinking about sex. You need help."

"Don't confuse me with you."

Smiling, Tessa faced forward once more. "All I know is they went to go check out up ahead, see if anybody knew anything about why we're still not moving."

Gabby looked around at the nearby cars and each seemed to hold families that were still sleeping in the fresh morning. "So, they gave you his crossbow?" She questioned in disbelief, scanning the area for a sign of either Dixon.

Biting her lip Tessa didn't meet Gabby's gaze. "Well…no. But! Merle said to watch out for you, so I am."

Gabby sighed and closed her eyes, "And it's loaded why?"

Tessa thought back to how hard she had worked at getting the bolt in place but it had given her something to do until Gabby woke up. "What do you want me to do? Throw it at someone if they attack. Don't be an idiot."

"I swear to God if you kill us," Gabby warned in a low voice.

"Oh hush, how bad do you think I…"

A slam of a car door and explosion of voices made both girls jump and Tessa's finger pressed against the trigger of the bow, sending the bolt into a tire of the car in front of them.

"Crap," Tessa muttered, quickly and gently setting the bow down where she had found it. "Never happened," she quickly turned to Gabby, instructing her not to say something.

Both girls snapped their heads to the car with the now pierced tire and waited for a reaction. Both parents in the front were still asleep but in the back sat a little boy who looked shocked and stared straight at them with large eyes.

"Ten bucks says that fucker rats us out."

Gabby shook her head, "There is no us, there's a you, I didn't do anything." The shouting from before continued and both girls followed the noise to see a woman pulling her daughter away from an angry man. Gabby's eyes narrowed, "Is he really bitching about the kid having to take a piss? God, what does he want her to do? Hold it?"

Tessa followed the movements of the mother and daughter who passed by the bed a car or two away. "No, I think I know them."

The mother muttered out an apology to the daughter and quietly explained to her that her father would be better once they got back to the car. Tessa instantly recognized the nervous and scared expression on the daughter's face.

"Sophia!" she blurted, crawling to the edge of the truck bed and scrambling out. The duo stopped, curious at the person calling the daughter's name, and both seemed a little relieved to see the redhead. Tessa met them behind the car she had shot and smiled warmly.

"Miss Dawson, how nice to see you," the mother recited. "Are you headed to the city?"

Nodding her head, she took in the appearance of both. Sophia was just as rail thin as she remembered. Her wide eyes were watching everything and she still reminded Tessa of a spooked animal but she had grown. Her toy was forever clutched in her arms and she clung to her mother's hand. Tessa licked her lips, getting the same sick and worried feeling she got each day Sophia was in her class.

"So, uh, I see you and your husband are heading to the city as well?" Tessa questioned as someone came beside her. She turned to see Gabby, smiling kindly.

"Well, after that announcement for evacuation, it took a while but Ed was finally convinced we should head out, too. You know how stubborn he can be."

"Yeah," Tessa replied, her gaze shooting back to Sophia.

It wasn't long before Ed appeared, his face judging and his eyes full of hate. "Thought y'all were goin' to the bathroom, not havin' some gossip swap in the middle 'a the damn interstate."

Fighting the urge to glare, Tessa breathed deeply through her nose and held the breath for a moment. Ed Peletier had never been a man worth a second glance to Tessa. He was rude and dominating, throwing his voice and weight around, and demanding he receive whatever respect he thought he deserved. Meeting him the first time was something that made Tessa's blood boil with hate. She had never been talked to or treated like that before, and it took everything inside of her to not go off then and punch him. The times he came in contact with her after that were rare.

Sophia's mother frowned before facing her husband, "We just ran into Miss Dawson, Ed. We're just saying hello."

Ed turned to sneer at Tessa and Gabby before spitting off to the side. "Oh yeah, I remember you. You're that teacher. The one who didn't like that I told her she's too young 'n dumb to know what she was talkin' about."

"Wait a minute-" Gabby charged, ready to go off on him for the small insult but Tessa threw her hand up, her expression unchanging.

"Yes, Mr. Peletier, that's me. I just saw your wife and daughter passing by and stopped them. That's not a problem, is it?"

Ed sweaty face shone in the sun and his tongue worked the chew in his mouth. His eyes roamed both Tessa and Gabby's bodies, and although she could feel the heat of Gabby's anger, she didn't allow her to advance. When Ed's eyes reached back up to her face, he frowned at the sweet smile there and wiped a thick hand over his forehead. Just as his mouth opened, for what she was sure would be a crude, cringe inducing remark, he was stopped.

"There a problem here?"

Tessa face gained a satisfied smirk as she perched her hands on her hips at the familiar voice behind her. Knowing all four of them were there gave her a surge of confidence she didn't recognize.

"No, no problem," she shook her head lightly. "We were just telling Mr. Peletier here that we'd take his wife and daughter off to the side there so they could relieve themselves after being cooped in the car. Isn't that right?"

Daryl recognized the fear in the little girl's eyes who was standing beside her mother and shot a glare at the man in front of him, waiting for an answer from Tessa's question.

Feeling better that Tessa wouldn't be dealing with the asshole alone she pulled Merle away from the group and nodded her head in the direction they were supposed to be heading, "Find out what's going on?"

Merle leaned against the side of the truck, his eyes sweeping her body as if he expected her to fall apart at any minute. When she didn't he finally answered. "Yeah."

She took a step closer to him, "I take it from that look it's nothing good."

He was never one to beat around the bush and there was no way to sugar coat it. "They were bombin' the city."

"What?" It came out as a shocked whisper but a pure panic washed over her features. "What are we going to do? We have no where to go!"

Merle lazily lifted an eyebrow at her response. "Was talkin' it over with Daryl 'n we were thinking maybe takin' to a back road. Find a cabin or hold up in the woods somewhere for awhile."

"That doesn't seem like much of a plan. You're just driving us away from the rest of the people," she told him while looking towards the direction of Atlanta.

"Might give us a better chance of survivin'. Less people means less problems."

"How can you say that? What's going to happen to everyone?"

"Ain't my problem."

"We're boxed in in the middle of the fucking highway," her voice was sharp but still low enough that no one could overhear their conversation. "Oh God. We're trapped like fucking rats."

His eyes left her for a minute to make sure Daryl was still close before he met her gaze again. "You done. I ain't got time for you to freak out on me right now." He didn't wait for a response as he continued. "Dumb fucks stayed off the shoulder. Only gotta get this asshole to move and we can get through. Go back to the access road about two miles back."

She nodded not trusting to keep the fear out of her voice but fuck if he didn't have time for her. She needed his reassurance. "Merle..."

He pushed off the truck and squeezed her hand. "I know, darlin'." He left her to follow as he went to break up the tea party the redhead was having so they could get a move on it. "Wrap it up, carrot top," Merle butted into the conversation without caring less. He locked eyes with Daryl ignoring the small audience they had. "Gotta get the lead out."

"The cars moving?" Tessa looked behind him in hope.

He scoffed and made a face, "No. But we are. Let's go."

"Where?" Tessa asked, forgetting the Peletiers in front of her for the moment.

Gabby shook her head, feeling the same panic from yesterday well up in her chest, "We just need to go, Tess. Get in the truck."

Tessa looked down from Merle's face to Gabby's, confusion scrunching her brow. "What happened to Atlanta?"

Gabby was still at a loss for what was destroying the world around her. "We'll tell you when we get there."

"Get where, Gabby? Where are we going?"

Not being able to keep her emotions in check anymore, Gabby snapped, "Get in the fucking truck and stop playing twenty questions."

Tessa blinked in shock and went to respond but thought better of it knowing something must be seriously wrong for Gabby to lose the hold on her composer. "It was good to see you Carol, Sophia. Stay safe."

"You too," Carol forced a small smile.

Without another acknowledgement to any one around her, Tessa turned on her heel, moving back to the truck. The sting of Gabby's words weren't lost on her, yet she felt the rise of guilt for making her friend react in such a way. Opening the door to the cab of the truck, she cast a long glance back towards where Sophia was still clinging to her mother's hand, as the family moved towards their own vehicle. As the rest of her group closed in around where the truck and bike were parked, she caught Gabby's eye for a brief moment, willing an apology through the action.


	5. Chapter 5

**I apologize it's kind of a filler chapter but I felt it was needed to move the story along. Thanks for reading :)**

Chapter 5

Daryl managed to squeeze the truck through the small space created from Merle intimidating the guy to move his car off to the shoulder so they could get out. Tessa watched as the drove past countless families of all different shapes, sizes, and ages and the worry in the pit of her stomach only grew as they headed back the way they came. "Where are we going?"

Daryl adjusted himself on the seat before his eyes went to the rearview mirror to make sure they weren't being followed. "Away from the city."

She wanted to ask why, what had happened to the plan of going to the refugee center, but something in his eyes told her now wasn't the time. She rolled her shoulder in an attempt to get the kink out from sleeping in the cab with Daryl the night before and stared out the window, her gaze never leaving Gabby's back. "Daryl?"

"Hmm."

"I am sorry," her apology came out just above a whisper but there was enough sincerity that she could have shouted it at him.

He sat there for a moment before nodding, "Ain't really a problem anymore."

Tessa watched his face, waiting for the rest. She felt like there would be an explanation for why it was wrong, a plea that she just talk to him before going against overgrown assholes, or even the pissed off reasoning for why he shouldn't have to bail her out of jail. But none of that came. His jaw clenched as the wheels in his head turned and she took a deep breath trying to get herself to relax from the tension.

Tessa could see Gabby molded to Merle's back and was sure she couldn't get any closer if she tried. She could tell Gabby was getting closer to losing her composure and she only hoped that wherever they were headed would bring them a better outlook. Civilization thinned out as Merle led them deeper into the rural areas of Georgia. They had been driving for hours, taking much longer having to weave around multiple cars and traffic jams, when she saw Merle pull off to the side but stayed in the cab until Daryl got out and Gabby climbed off the bike.

"Camp here for the night," Merle spoke with such an authority in his voice that it took away some of Tessa's concern. "Get higher up the mountain in the mornin'."

Gabby folded her arms over her chest as if literally trying to keep herself together. "Can't we keep going tonight?"

"Better in the daylight," Daryl offered, swinging his crossbow over his shoulder.

"Goin' to check the area," Merle announced to the three of them and headed off to the right while Daryl went to the left.

He stopped for a minute and glanced over his shoulder. "Keep your eyes open. You see something, yell. We won't be far."

Tessa nodded, her eyes locked on his form until he disappeared beyond the tree line. Opening her mouth to speak to Gabby, Tessa turned to see her friend hadn't moved, her arms still wrapped around herself. She motioned with her head to the side, "C'mon let's gather some wood for a fire."

Gabby regarded her for a moment before snatching sticks off the ground. "I don't like this."

"Too good to pick some shit off the ground now, Gab?" she teased, trying to lighten the mood but it was useless.

Gabby shook her head. "Not what I meant. We shouldn't have stopped. I can't sit here on my ass all night. Just waiting for…" she trailed off as images of her parents flashed through her mind. She then thought about Atlanta, if they were bombing the city then who was to say they would stop there? Would they go for the cars on the highway next? Would death find them no matter where they were? "We need to keep moving."

Tessa stood up and watched Gabby with a careful eye. "It's only one night. We're going to be moving first thing in the morning. There's no one even out here."

"We're out here, aren't we?" Gabby threw back. "Means someone else could be too."

"Why do you think they went to go look? You're freaking out over nothing."

"They wouldn't have to go look if they were certain we are alone." Gabby tossed the sticks into the pile and let her eyes scan the woods for a sign of either Dixon. She knew deep down that they wouldn't have both wandered off if they thought there was even a chance of danger but she would be on edge until they got back.

Tessa came to stand beside her, dropping her collected sticks on top of Gabby's. Brushing her palms against each other, she took a deep breath. "What's going on with you, Gabby?"

Gabby bit her bottom lip to keep from spilling what was on her mind because now was not the time to lose it. Honestly, she was too scared, too mortified from what she saw, to feel anything at the moment but the need to run. If she could just keep moving, somehow manage to stay one step ahead of the dangers lurking in the shadows, then maybe by some miracle they would survive. "I'm fine."

"Gabrielle," Tessa sighed.

"Tessa, I swear on everything holy you don't drop it I'll hit you so many times you won't be able to speak."

Eyeing her skeptically, Tessa saw the fear storming Gabby's eyes. "Then hit me," she challenged, not backing down.

The irrational side of Gabby wanted nothing more than to reel back and make good on her threat but they both knew when it came down to it Gabby wouldn't do it. "I said I'm fine," Gabby clipped out as her head shot up at the sound to her left and sighed when it was only Merle.

Her eyes never left his form as he crouched next to the wood the girls had gathered and started a small fire. Daryl came through the tree line a few minutes later with a few squirrels attached to his belt.

Tessa adverted her gaze from Gabby as Daryl brushed by. "Couldn't find an owl out there, big guy? Had to go for the squirrel, huh?" She teased, trying to dissipate the tension that was clearly evident in the area.

"Don't like it don't eat," Daryl shrugged, sitting down to clean the meat.

Gabby cleared her throat before stepping over to the group. "She'll eat. I'll make sure." Daryl cleaned his catch and Gabby watched the flames dance around the fire. Once Merle sat down she moved to sit between his legs because as terrified as she was she knew she would be safe as long as Merle was around. "When will we move on?"

"First light," Daryl replied, never looking up from what he was doing.

Gabby seemed to accept the answer and kept the rest of her questions to herself. At this point she wasn't sure she wanted the answers to them she just wished this night would go by quickly. Tessa picked at the grass around her, not used to their little group being so quiet. "At least the stars are out tonight."

The group ate in mostly silence, Gabby watching to make sure Tessa ate. When the redhead bumped Daryl's knee and offered the rest of her meat, Gabby sighed. "Don't eat her food, Daryl. Make her do it."

"I'm full," Tessa went to argue but closed her mouth as soon as her eyes locked onto Gabby's across the fire.

"You don't get to bullshit around anymore. You're going to eat."

Tessa stuck the last piece of meat in her mouth and licked her fingers clean. "You going to tell me what the hell is going on in that head of yours?"

"Nothing. Just trying to enjoy my dinner," Gabby answered, shifting to lean more into Merle.

She could feel him glancing down at her but he let her move as she pleased. He finished his meal and wiped his hands on his pants. "Takin' first watch."

"Watch?" Tessa questioned. She had been camping more times than she could count and though she knew something was happening in the world around them she couldn't understand why someone would have to watch over them why they slept. Was it really that dangerous?

"I'll stay up with you," Gabby told Merle as Daryl spoke low to Tessa and explained they couldn't be too careful now. Gabby moved so that Merle could get to his feet and then followed him over to the truck where he sat on the roof of the cab for a better vantage point. He steadied her as she climbed up to sit next to him and they sat in silence. She didn't need to hear any comforting words because there wasn't anything he would be able to say to make everything better so instead she watched the stars, the only constant that would ever be- no matter what hell there was on earth.

Tessa situated herself so that her head was resting against Daryl's thigh, using it as her pillow until it was his turn to take watch. Unlike Gabby, she wasn't able to keep her questions in. She kept her gaze on the fire, listening to the soft crackling as the fire found a piece of the wood that wasn't completely dry. "Are you still mad at me?"

"Told you it wasn't an issue anymore."

She let out a deep breath. Daryl wasn't one to lie but she almost needed to hear him say he truly accepted her apology. She wasn't sorry for what she had done, she would do it again in a heartbeat, but she was sorry that it had upset him. "I know…it's just…"

His hand tightened on her hip, "Go to sleep, Tess."

Tessa put her hand on his before she sat and faced him. "If it's not an issue, why when I look in your eyes do I feel like I let you down or pissed you off?"

He regarded her for a moment, seeing the pure innocence behind her eyes and wanting to do everything in his power to protect her. He was quiet as he thought about Merle telling him about Gabby's parents, about how they only way he was able to put Mrs. Mitchell down was a headshot, and then his mind went to seeing Atlanta. It was a sight he was sure he would never see; the helicopters dropping bombs on the hundreds, no thousands, of unsuspecting people. He wasn't sure his feet could move fast enough to get back to Tessa. Realistically, he knew they were far enough away from the city but he couldn't have agreed with Merle more when he said they needed to get off the highway. He realized she was still waiting on an answer and spoke low so that their conversation stayed between the two of them. "Ain't that. Atlanta is gone."

Her brow creased in confusion, not understanding what he was talking about. "What do you mean gone? How can a city just be gone?" Her gaze floated over to where Merle and Gabby were for a second and wondered if her friend knew more than she did. "Daryl, what does that mean?"

"Means we find somewhere else." Tessa tried to imagine what it meant that Atlanta was gone. Did he mean it was just no longer an option? Had something horrific happened that had wiped the city off the map? She tried to wrap her mind around the concept but she just couldn't. It wasn't something she had seen with her own two eyes, something she was able to feel and experience, and it all felt surreal. Wanting to get back an ounce of normalcy she apologized again for getting arrested because it was the only thing that she still felt like she could control at that moment. He shook his head, "You goin' to sleep or keep chattin' all night?"

"Depends," she shrugged, "You going to keep me warm or make me freeze?"

"Freeze," he answered without skipping a beat, letting the smallest of smirks pull at the corner of his lips. It wasn't necessarily cold but after being out in the heat all day the cool night air was welcomed to the Dixons who burned hot but not so much to the women. He lifted her arm so she could curl into his side and when he put his arm back around her she let out a content sigh.

He knew then they would be okay. He had his brother, his girl, everything he would ever need. So let the rest fall apart. He had his world.

**X-X-X**

The first rays of sun started to creep over the earth, slowly bringing everything to life as it reached out like a mother waking a child. Daryl slid off the roof of the truck and nudged Merle with the toe of his boot. The eldest Dixon cracked an eye open and took a deep breath as he stretched. Daryl spoke low so he wouldn't Gabby who had wound herself around his brother like a vine in the couple hours of sleep they had gotten. "Need to get moving before the sun gets too high and the rest of the crowd starts moving off the highway."

Merle looked down, having just realized that Gabby was clinging to him in her sleep and carefully pried her off so he could get up. She curled into herself at the loss of heat and he threw her zipped sweatshirt over her in hopes she would sleep for a few more hours. The brothers double checked everything before they agreed to move further up the mountain. Daryl questioned if he should wake Gabby and although Merle knew she would give him shit he told Daryl to leave her be. He knew she had been through more than a person should be able to handle in such a short period of time and needed the sleep because she wouldn't otherwise. They made sure everything in the bed was safe and secure so she wouldn't get hurt on the road as they drove and cast her one more look before heading to his bike.

Daryl opened the driver's side door to get into the truck and gently lifted Tessa's legs so that he could sit. Merle led the way, the bike able to squeeze through and quickly get to possible turns and hazards that he could prepare the truck for.

Tessa started to stir and she blinked a few times, unsure why she was in the truck and not in front of the warm fire anymore. She could still smell the smoke on her clothes and she took a deep breath in letting the scent take her away for a minute.

"Daryl?" she croaks, the sleep still in her voice as she pushed herself into a sitting position. He looked over at the sound of his name before returning his attention to the road, trying his best to miss as many holes as possible. "Where are we?"

"Goin' to find a better place to stay."

She nodded, still not fully awake and rubbed at her eyes. "Did you sleep?"

Daryl caught her eye as she ran her hand through her hair, fixing any of its flaws. He wondered how long it was going to take her to adjust to mornings without coffee and almost chuckled at the thought. He left her question unanswered as the tire hit a pothole and the truck bounced. "Shit, she ain't goin' to be likin' that."

Tessa didn't understand what he was talking about until she turned her head to follow his gaze. That was when she saw a now disgruntled Gabby clutching her head and pushing herself to sit up in the back. Making an unamused face at Daryl, Tessa shifted to her knees and knocked on the glass back window before she slid it open. "Morning."

"What's happening?"

"How's your head?"

Gabby rubbed the sore spot again but didn't comment, looking years younger than she was with her eyes barely open. Tessa couldn't help but shake her head and hope that whatever was going on inside her head wouldn't take away the friend she had come to see as family. "You need a good night's sleep. You're starting to look like a mess."

"Merle sleep?"

"Don't know. Woke up and was already moving."

Gabby's eyes shot open at the mention of them moving "where is he?"

"Merle? Just ahead on the bike."

Gabby scrambled to her knees while Tessa moved to allow her the ability to see exactly where Merle was. "I don't like being back here."

"We can pull over if you want, let you climb in the cab."

"No," Gabby shook her head. "I need to be with him on that bike."

Daryl spoke over his shoulder, "Better if you didn't. Road is too uneven."

Gabby let out a deep sigh and slouched against their bags. At least they were moving. That was a plus. She briefly wondered how long they would have to keep moving though was there anywhere that was truly safe?

"Wanna come up here?" Tessa's question brought her out her thoughts.

"No. I'm fine."

Tessa hummed a response in disbelief and settled herself sideways in the seat so she could face both Daryl and Gabby. When neither of them spoke to her, Tessa began to impatiently tap her foot on the seat. Gabby was in the back, her eyes staring forward at the scenery but not really blinking. Circles were under her eyes and her mouth was turned down at the corners. Worry wrinkles dented her forehead and Tessa found her stomach tightening for her friend.

Daryl was quiet, as normal, but there was an alertness to him. He was on edge, ready to pounce and jump at any moment and Tessa felt her anxiety rise.

Unsure of what her own feelings were, she pushed them down and focused on what was in front of her.


	6. Chapter 6

Chapter 6

Days had passed and though the fear was still heavy in the air the four of them had seemed to have fallen into a comfortable routine. Gabby was still too quiet for Tessa's liking but even she couldn't deny that the four of them finding this quarry was the best thing that could have happened. They were far enough away from the city, had water from the lake, Daryl said there was enough game in the area, and above all it was safe. Life had started to feel like it was becoming normal once more yet none of them cherished the feeling or idea. To say that although they were content but that this was their new life left a bad taste in their mouths. None of them mentioned Atlanta or the refuge center almost as if they were pretending it never happened. Each person found the extra time filled with watching everything around them as well as each other. Habits had been noticed and concerns began to grow.

It was all still so new yet they found the silence to be almost deafening. The Dixons were in tune with the chatter of the woods but to Gabby and Tessa there was a silence that allowed their minds to wander. Time held no meaning. There wasn't the need to set an alarm or turn in early. There wasn't a need to clock in at work or even flick the television on for their favorite shows. The sun became their clock, their stomachs a signal for when they should eat, and dreary eyes for when they should sleep. Because of the new world around them, they spent more time inactive and waiting. Gabby continued to fear that it would only be a matter of time until something found them and now they really had no where to turn.

It was Gabby who first heard the gravel being disturbed. Panic settled deep in her chest, her eyes wide in fear, as she nearly stopped breathing. Had someone come to take their sanctuary away? Climbing up to the top of the truck she tried to find where the noise was coming from.

"Gab?" Tessa questioned, having seen her friend's body go completely still.

She ignored Tessa as she saw a Jeep coming closer with a trail of cars following. "Merle!" She screamed at the top of her lungs. She knew he and Daryl were out in the woods but there was no doubt that he wouldn't have heard her. "Merle!"

Tessa's heart began to pound in her chest at the fear in Gabby's voice. Standing in the bed of the truck behind Gabby, her breath stopped in her throat as the purring of engines grew louder. Time seemed to stand still and speed up all at the same time before Merle was running out of the woods, his eyes searching for Gabby's form. He saw her atop the truck and immediately closed their distance. His gun was aimed and ready as he scanned the area, searching for the danger that had sent ice through his veins when he had heard her scream. Daryl was seconds behind him, mirroring his brother's stance with his crossbow, his eyes flashing to Tessa for a brief second to make sure she hadn't been harmed.

"They're coming," Gabby whispered, seeming as though her nightmares were coming to life in front of her very eyes. "Someone found us."

The Jeep stopped short as it made its way closer to camp and saw two men ready to defend their territory. The girls didn't move for a moment, watching on in apprehension as to what would happen in response.

"Should we go down by them? Show they're not alone? People sometimes take sympathy when there's women. Oh my god what do we -" Tessa began rattling, the fear making her nervous and unsure of what to do.

"No. Shut up, I don't know," Gabby shook her head at the words coming from her friend. Trying to focus on both was difficult and she wanted to focus all of her attention on the new upset to their short lived calm.

A man with dark curly hair got out of the Jeep and held his hands up a bit. "No reason we can't have a conversation without firearms." When neither Dixon moved to put their weapons down the man tried another approach. "Been looking for a place to hold up. Didn't think there would already be people settled here but maybe we could work something out."

The girls watched the man, their eyes taking in the rest of the people in his car. Seeing it was a family caused some relief, but not much as the line of cars didn't seem to end. Gabby remained rooted in her spot while Tessa carefully climbed out of the back of the truck. The man stuck his tongue in his cheek when he received no response. Setting his hands on his hips, he motioned back to the cars. "Fine. Just give us the night to rest. We'll move on in the morning. But we got kids and women and we need out of the cars, man."

Tessa's eyes narrowed as she saw the Peletiers a few cars back. Stepping up behind Daryl, her fingers barely ghosted his back. "Sophia is with them…the little girl from the highway. One night couldn't hurt, right?"

Daryl and Merle shared a look, a silent conversation passing between the two, and Daryl lowered his crossbow. Merle, however, kept his gun aimed at the man who was speaking for the rest of his group. "Goin' to cost ya."

The stranger watched their faces, not missing that whatever the redhead said made the men change their mind. Sighing out a mix of slight relief and exhaustion, he shifted on his feet. "We don't have anything to give."

The door opened on the Jeep and a tall, slender brunette stepped out, her grip never leaving the door. "I'm sorry," she cleared her throat, her eyes wide but transfixed. Gabby's eyes shot to the woman and she felt the judgmental thoughts running through her head; ones that before wouldn't have even occurred. The brunette didn't wait for an invitation to continue. "It's been a rough few days. We don't have anything to spare but maybe we can work something out? We aren't here to cause trouble. We have children with us. Families."

Gabby scowled at the woman. Part of her wanted to tell them to move on but the other part knew she couldn't be so callous when there were children involved. Ultimately, it wasn't up to her though. She would leave it up to Merle and follow whatever decision he made. He had kept her safe and knew that if he told these people to leave it would be for the best.

Tessa stepped around Daryl and she tried to ignore the low growl that almost vibrated through his chest for her putting herself in the middle. Her eyes flickered between the man and the woman, "We aren't trying to cause any trouble either but this has become our place. You can't blame us for feeling a little threatened as a whole caravan pulls up into our space." The brunette nodded in understanding while the man eyed her skeptically waiting for her to continue. "One night shouldn't be a problem but please tell the rest of your group that it's all that it is. One night. Then you're going to have to move on. That's the best we can do."

"Thank you…" the brunette trailed off with a sigh of relief.

"Tessa," she filled in the blank before motioning to the youngest Dixon who had his eyes squinted. "That's Daryl, Merle, and Gabby."

"Lori," the brunette introduced herself and pointed to the man with the curly hair, "Shane," before pointing out the boy in the backseat watching on with wide eyes, "and my boy, Carl. We really appreciate it."

Lori kept her attention on Tessa since she had ultimately given them the okay to stay. "Is there some where specific you'd like us to park?"

"Just fuckin' move over there." Daryl's words shocked the brunette and her eyes floated back to Tessa for confirmation who slightly nodded.

Eight cars. There were eight vehicles that found their way into their sanctuary and Gabby was fuming. Merle had leaned against the side of the truck while Tessa directed everyone to park and Daryl kept a protective eye on her. Gabby finally slid off the roof and jumped out of the bed of the truck, landing next to Merle. She crossed her arms over her chest with a sigh that could have been mistaken for a low growl. "This is bullshit."

Merle couldn't agree more with Gabby but he was surprised she was so against the idea. He figured she would have been right over there with her little friend welcoming the newcomers. Once the vehicles were parked off to one side some of the families started to pull out tents and bedding. Merle could feel the anger radiating off of the woman standing next to him and he smirked at her fire. "The fuck do they think they are doing? Bad enough, Red said they could stay the night. No reason to get so settled in."

"Excuse me," one of the women wandered over to where they were standing and Gabby just stared at the blonde. She wasn't about to make friends with these people. She wanted them gone. "I was just wondering if you've seen any walkers up this way."

Gabby scrunched her face in confusion, "walkers?"

"Yeah. Just what we have been calling-"

"Think we'd be stayin' here if there were those things around?" Merle harshly cut the blonde off as he pushed away from the truck and stormed off towards their tent. He muttered more than a few obscenities as he stalked off and Gabby wanted to smack the blonde standing in front of her for such a foolish question.

"Don't like it here no one is asking you to stay. In fact, I'd be more than happy if you fucked off." She trailed after Merle, leaving the blonde speechless. Her eyes scanned what was supposed to be their camp and for the first time since they had settled here she felt the need to run again.

Tessa was instructing everyone where to park and welcoming each of them to the quarry. She took an extra few minutes with each family, learning their names and introducing herself before she would move to the next. She wanted to rebuild that sense of community as quickly as possible before anyone could forget what it was like to have any at all. She had introduced herself to Eliza and Louis who were more than happy to be out of their parent's car and then spoke to Miranda and her husband briefly. She was just about to see what else needed to be done around came when a shout from Shane stopped her. "Hey, you! Did you shoot my tire?"

Daryl turned practically snarling at Shane's angry words that were directed at Tessa. "She look like she got a gun to you?"

"On the highway. She shot my tire with an arrow."

"What?" Tessa stepped up beside Daryl only to have him stick an arm out to stop her. Shane held the arrow up and Daryl squinted recognizing it as one of his own. He cocked an eyebrow at Tessa who sighed. "Look, I don't appreciate you pinning your shot tire on me. Just because he has a bow doesn't mea-"

"Carl saw you," Shane shot her excuse down real quick.

"…I…kids get confused," Tessa offered with an innocent smile, hoping that this wouldn't effect the possibility of the newcomers staying longer than one night.

Shane wasn't buying it though and he warned Tessa that not only should she stay away from his family but so should the rest of her motley crew. Daryl looked to Tessa for an explanation as Shane walked away and she gave him a quick play by play. He shook his head, "Keep your distance from him."

Tessa nodded, not planning on actually making friends with him but hoping maybe they would all be able to work something out. Numbers meant strength. That was until she saw Gabby getting into the blonde's face before trailing after Merle. Maybe it would be harder to convince her group that the newcomers would make a good addition after all. She wasn't going to give up though. If she could get Gabby on her side then maybe they had a real chance.

"Knock, knock," Tessa called out as she stood outside Merle and Gabby's tent. She could hear them talking to one another and moving about inside. More like someone was throwing things about with a mix of curses, growls, and grunts. The flap whipped open and she stepped back as Merle came out. Gabby followed after him but stopped when she saw Tessa.

"You're really stupid you know that," Gabby spit out, disgusted with the fact that Tessa so willingly allowed these people into their space.

Tessa was taken aback, surprised by the comment. "The hell are you talking about?"

Gabby continued her advance from the inside of the tent towards her friend. Throwing her arm out to the intruders, she snarled, "Just inviting these strangers to stay with us."

Tessa rolled her eyes, put off by the fact Gabby seemed to become so callous in such a short amount of time, "It's only one night."

Beginning her journey to where Merle had gone, Gabby turned her head over her shoulder. "Fucking better be."

"Would you really rather they weren't here? I don't see the issue." Tessa lightly grabbed Gabby's arm so they could finish at least one conversation. It was almost as if her friend was avoiding her at all costs.

Gabby shrugged out of her grasp and thought back to Merle's words on the highway. "Less people, less problems."

"Yeah, well more people mean more help. And having numbers could be a benefit."

"We have Merle and Daryl. We don't need anyone else," Gabby's words were spoken with such a finality about them that she figured the conversation was over but Tessa still pressed on.

"And what if both of them are away and something happens? Or what if something happens _to_ them, then what?"

At Tessa's question Gabby's voice took to a whole new level of anger. "Don't fucking say that."

"You're the one who was talking about not liking the idea of being here. You follow Merle around like a shadow. Face. You're afraid. We need people."

"There's nothing wrong with fear. It keeps you aware. Keeps you alive." As much as she believed in what she was saying Gabby also knew that if it wasn't for Merle she wouldn't be standing there. Her gaze left Tessa to search him out and there was a sense of calm that washed over her when they locked eyes for a second.

Merle shifted his gaze to their now crowded oasis as he stood next to Daryl. "Didn't know your girl had such a bleedin' heart."

Daryl didn't want the newcomers there but once Tessa had mentioned that little girl from the highway he had been more open to them staying. The look in Sophia's eyes he had seen one too many times in the mirror. Leaning forward on the side of the truck with his arms on the wall of the bed, he kept his eyes on the groups setting up their tents. "Think she's doin' it 'cause of the kids. That little girl's with them."

He nodded in the direction of the small family with the shaken mother setting up the tent while the father was already planted in a chair and complaining about the slowness of her work. Merle scoffed and opened his mouth to make a lewd comment when a loud 'fuck you' brought the attention of both brothers to where Gabby and Tessa were standing nose to nose. Merle chucked, "Looks like we got us some entertainment."

It wasn't until Gabby had taken a swing that Daryl moved to break them apart. Tessa stumbled back, shocked that her friend actually hit her. In the next blink, both girls sprung to tackle the other. They fell to the ground in a tangle of limbs and hair, shouts and piercing swears cutting through the air as they continued their argument and rolled around the ground throwing punches. The newcomers turned, observing the two girls fighting and the two men from earlier closing in on them.

Merle watched on with amusement as Gabby fought to get the upper hand. Daryl tried to separate the two but Tessa had such a hold on Gabby's hair that he couldn't pull her off without ripping it from her head. Daryl shot a look over his shoulder at his brother. "Merle."

The eldest Dixon shook his head, stepping over to where the girls were rolling around on the ground and wrapped a strong arm around Gabby's waist. Daryl did the same to Tessa and when the redhead's feet left the ground she let go of Gabby's hair. Gabby was fighting against Merle's hold still trying to get her hands on Tessa. "Stow your touchy feely shit. You didn't see them! I have every right to be scared. I don't want to see you like that…Merle…Daryl…I can't…" Realizing that everyone had now seen her lose complete control of her emotions she went slack in Merle's grasp. "Just let me go," she whispered, uncomfortable with all the attention on her. She needed to run. She needed to go to the bar and drink away this nightmare but she couldn't do either.

"Didn't see what? I can't know the shit that's eating away at you unless you tell me!" Tessa continued to struggle in Daryl's arms, still wanting to get to Gabby and shake her problem from her so that she could help her friend.

Merle loosened his grip but didn't let Gabby go, silently communicating with his brother over the girls' heads. Daryl nodded to Merle and the latter started to direct Gabby towards the woods. Tessa wanted to go after her but Daryl held her in place until the two were out of sight. "Wanna talk to someone go play with the kids."

"Put me down."

Daryl removed his arm from around her waist, sending a steely glare to a few of the newcomers that were still watching. "Leave 'em be."

"Don't tell me how to deal with my friend."

"I ain't askin' you."

"Yeah, well, blow me." Every fiber of her being wanted to follow Gabby into those woods and get to the bottom of this even if it meant more punches but instead with a deep sigh she let Merle handle it.

Gabby wasn't sure where she was going as she stepped over moss covered logs and weaved around the numerous trees. All she knew was that she needed to get away and that Merle was behind her. She continued her trek through the woods until a covered branch caught her by surprise, sending her towards the ground. Merle was quick to reach out and catch her before her face collided with the leaf strewn ground.

"Fucking ginger's making me clumsy by association," she growled, yanking her arm out of his grasp after she was righted. Merle chuckled, holding his hands up in mock surrender and leaned back against a tree to watch. "God what I wouldn't give for a drink right now" The idea hit her with such a realization that she almost fell over. Alcohol would be hard to come by but there was no way Merle would have left Lilburn without some kind of drugs; powders, pills, something to take the edge off. She stood in front of him with a glint of hope in her eyes. The first he had seen since they left Daryl's. "Make me forget."

"Seems you been tryin' to forget a lot lately."

Gabby couldn't hide her surprise at his statement. She figured he would have assumed she was talking about sex and that he would get her off in the middle of the woods but she was wrong. She crossed her arms over her chest, "Got a lot of shit I don't want to remember."

"I ain't gonna let you do that, darlin'. Ain't gonna let you lose yourself."

It was as close to comforting words as Merle Dixon was going to get but she didn't want to hear them at that moment. She wanted to forget but better yet she wanted him to make her forget. "You do it! Why can't I!?"

"'Cause you're better than that."

**X-X-X**

Tessa and Daryl were sitting outside of their tent as he sharpened his knives. It was silent except the metal sliding over the stone. Tessa crossed and uncrossed her legs with nervous energy.

"Relax."

"Should have let us work it out ourselves," Tessa mumbled as she kept her eyes trained on where Merle and Gabby had slipped into the woods.

He glanced over at her split lip before scanning the camp again. "Uh-huh."

"Stop looking at me like that. I was fine. She and I would be talking if you hadn't broken us up."

"Not if she killed you before you could get the chance to."

Tessa tore her eyes away from the tree line to glare at Daryl, "She would never kill me." He snorted and she huffed, crossing her arms. "She wouldn't have."

A little relieved for the topic change, he motioned to Sophia and Carl who were hesitantly trying to inch their way towards them. "Here comes your fan club."

"Am I allowed to talk to them or am I still on time out?" Tessa asked sarcastically with a smirk.

Daryl shot her a look and went back to sharpening his knives as the kids finally got as close as they considered to be safe. Losing all sarcasm from her voice, Tessa flashed the kids a smile. "Everything okay?"

Carl looked her straight in the eye. "You're the one who shot our tire."

Tessa bit her bottom lip to keep as she thought about the bet she made with Gabby that the little fucker would rat her out. She didn't get a chance to respond as Sophia girl spoke up. "Miss Dawson, can you really shoot arrows?"

"It was just an accident, sweetie. Let that be a lesson to both of you to not play with any weapons, okay?"

Sophia enthusiastically nodded but Carl tilted his head to the side, "But hitting people is okay?"

Daryl glanced up at the boy, "Weren't you told to stay clear of us? Best you go on back."

Carl stared at Tessa for another second before his eyes fell on Daryl's knife and both kids scurried back to their parents. Tessa let out a long breath and shook her head. "Dixon, they were just talking. If you scare them away they aren't going to want to stay."

"We don't need 'em, Tess. Tomorrow they go on their way."


	7. Chapter 7

**Merry Christmas and Happy New Years! :)**

Chapter 7

The silence that was so deafening the day before was now longed for as Gabby sat in their tent. There was a dull murmur of voices as the newcomers chatted over dinner. More than one fire was lit, the crackling adding to the noise. She refused to eat with those people and Merle seemed to agree stating that he would provide for his own. She rooted through his pack in search of the drugs she had yet to see but knew they were there somewhere. She came up empty and it only frustrated her more. She shoved her feet back in her boots and slipped out of the tent, sparing a quick glance to the group to make sure no one saw her before disappearing into the dark of the woods.

Her first instinct had been to run and she hadn't been thinking clearly. The longer she walked in the darkness, the more she stumbled, and the more she regretted leaving in the first place. With the dark night swallowing her, she wasn't even sure she would be able to just walk straight back. But Merle had gone this way, she was sure of it, and if she pushed on further, she would find him. He would be like a beacon drawing her in. The noise from the group faded out and just as she was about to panic a hand was clasped over her mouth. She struggled against the hold, bucking her whole body to try and get away. The hold on her was too strong and she was being pulled further into the dark. A muffled scream failed to elicit any reaction from the natural world around her and panic consumed her mind.

A strong shove sent her into the side of a tree and she felt herself panting as her eyes attempted to adjust to the light and search out the force still pinning her. A swift click sounded and a single flame danced to the side of her face showing the dark and menacing angles of Merle's face that she was sure all his enemies would recognize.

"Jesus Christ, Merle," her heart still beat hard against her chest as she let out a long breath. "Scared the shit out of me."

"Could've gotten your ass lost out here this time of night. The fuck you thinkin'?"

"Needed to get away from them," she told the truth just not all of it and he read her like a book, pinning her to the tree with a hand around her neck. She swallowed as his scent invaded her mind, clouding any thought she had. "Needed…"

He put a little more pressure on her neck and moved so that his hip was locking her body in place. "What's that, darlin'. Tell ol' Merle what you need."

"You. I need you."

Merle studied her face, trying to draw the energy from her eyes. The light disappeared as quickly as it had come and the light was replaced by the jingling of a belt coming undone. Gabby's arms moved to her own pants, beginning to undo them before she was stopped by Merle's large hand wrapping around both of her wrists. Pinning her arms above her head he placed his opposite hand back on her throat, his thumb running up and down the front of it.

It was as if he had struck a match and the burning desire she had for him at that moment almost turned her to ash. He popped the button on her jeans, sliding his hand into the front of her pants. He pushed aside her panties and ran a thick finger between her folds, teasing her and igniting yet another fire. She rocked into his hand, needing to feel him more, needing him to quiet her mind so that she wouldn't run. He knew what she wanted but his finger wasn't going to do the trick this time. She needed to feel him. She needed to be fucked, hard. He withdrew his hand and released his grip on her wrists for a moment to allow her to undress from the waist down as his pants pooled around his ankles.

When she managed to remove her pants completely she moved her hands up and found his face, dragging his lips into hers with a dense force. His hands ran down her body before lifting her off the ground and sliding her back up the tree until he was able to slam himself into her. The bark bit into her lower back with each thrust but she ignored it, focusing solely on the man in front of her. He was relentless that night and she was sure that she could have been split in two. She reveled in the feeling though as her thighs shook.

"More," she breathed out between pants. "Fuck I need more."

Merle grunted, his brow breaking out in a sweat that made his skin slick. His thrusts came in harder, a string of swears leaving her mouth. She felt like she couldn't get close enough to him. Her nails dug deeply into the skin of his scalp and neck. Her heels pressed into the small of his back and she found herself bucking her hips towards him with just as much drive. The coil that had wrapped deep within her was about to come undone but she wasn't ready for it to be over. She stopped meeting his thrusts in hopes of holding out just a little longer but as Merle dipped his head and bit the base of her neck she lost all control, her vision a sea of white as she milked his release from him.

He held her against the tree for a moment as they both tried to let their hearts return to a normal rate before he set her on her feet. They dressed in silence but she could still feel the anger radiating off of him. She went to ask him to just yell at her and get it over with when he opened his mouth. "Coulda got lost out here."

"Yeah, you've said that." Gabby went to walk back to camp when he grabbed her by the arm and pushed her in the other direction. She bit her lip as she held back a glare.

"Dumb move for a smart girl comin' out here by yourself."

Gabby was quiet a moment, wondering if she really wanted the answer to her next question or not. She stopped walking and looked up at him. "Is it safe here?"

His eyes scanned the area again and he shrugged, "Safe as it can be. Need to keep your eyes open and be smart about shit. Stupidity is what's goin' to get you killed."

They moved on, Gabby noticing how quiet his steps and breaths were. Her eyes continued to shoot to the side, making sure he was still there. There was no need though because every time she tripped over something he was there to catch her before she hit the ground. When a small chill shook her entire body she ran her hands over her bare arms, chastising herself for not grabbing her hoodie. "Did you find any food out here this late?" He held up a couple squirrels and she scrunched her nose. "That going to be our new delicacy now?"

"Problem with it?"

She had meant it as a joke but she could hear the underlying tone in his question as if it wasn't good enough for her. "No problem at all." She sighed as the light of camp could be seen in the distance. "Can't wait for them to be gone tomorrow."

"Shouldn't be here now, no matter what Red says. Better to keep less strangers around," He put his hand on her arm to stop her and she turned to face him. "Can't trust no one."

She nodded so he knew she understood and briefly rested her hand on his chest, "Don't need to trust anyone else, I trust you." She went on her tip toes to give him a quick kiss to the cheek and he slapped her on the ass to get her moving again. They continued their walk back towards camp and Gabby shook her head in disgust. "They're both over there just sitting at the fire like they're part of the group or something."

"Ain't surprised."

Tessa easily held conversation with the women and children while Daryl sat back and observed. It was the little things that they did when they thought no one was paying attention that told all the secrets they tried to keep hidden away under lock and key. Like the way Sophia and Carol sat with Ed at their own fire, the two huddled together sitting opposite of him while the little girl kept shooting glances over to the group as if she wished she could join in. Then there was the young blonde that kept tucking a piece of hair behind her ear every time someone asked her a question as if it were a nervous tick and the elderly man that smiled as if the world wasn't falling apart in front of him. Daryl took in every word that Tessa said and that was said to her but didn't care to add to the conversation. These people weren't worth his time. The hair on the back of his neck stood up every time Shane opened his mouth or cast a glance in Tessa's direction and he had to fight to keep the scowl off his face.

Daryl glanced over his shoulder as he heard the leaves crunching under Gabby's boots to see her and Merle coming out from the woods. There was a small scowl on her face as they went to their tent but it was nothing like before and he could see some of the tension gone from her shoulders. He leaned over, whispering to Tessa that he was going to go talk to Merle for a minute and she nodded, "Okay."

He stood and when she didn't move he motioned with his head, "Let's go."

"You can talk without me. You're not a puppet," there was a playful glint in her eyes showing him that she was just fine, her own way of telling him to stop worrying.

Daryl left Tessa to her gossip but made sure to keep an eye on her the whole time. Merle had already started to prepare the meat while Gabby lit their own fire.

"She's acting like the goddamn first lady," Gabby muttered as she sat on an overturned milk crate. Merle snorted and Daryl ignored her comment, speaking low to his brother so that only he could hear. Merle listened, his eyes following Daryl's over to the group and nodded. "Who's taking watch tonight?" Gabby's question brought their attention to her and she stared back at them waiting for an answer. "I don't know about you but I'm not sleeping while they're here."

Merle pointed his knife in her direction, "You need sleep."

"Do you trust them? Because if you do, then why don't _you_ sleep while I take watch."

**X-X-X**

The dark circles under Gabby's eyes stood out against her pale skin in the early morning light. She had nodded off a few times during the night but every time her chin hit her chest she shot back up with renewed energy. Merle, on the other hand, appeared to be just as awake as when they sat up on the truck hours before. Gabby wasn't going to complain, this was the day she had been waiting for, they would finally leave and she would get her sanctuary back. She impatiently waited, her eyes locked on the tents in the distance. A few people emerged and headed into the woods for relief but no one looked as though they were getting ready to move. "What's taking them so long? The sun's up. They should be gone by now."

Merle rolled his head from side to side to crack his neck, "Ain't been that long. Probably only seven at best."

Gabby rubbed at her eyes, forcing herself to stay awake when she saw Tessa and the blonde from yesterday talking. She shook her head as Tessa moved to the next person making sure they slept okay the night before while Daryl sat outside their tent and trailed her with his eyes. "Think we can send her with 'em?"

Merle let out a laugh that caused a few heads to turn in their direction and Gabby ran her finger over the barrel of the gun on her lap, imagining what it would be like to shoot each of them. Tessa finally made her way over to the two with bowls of dry cereal for breakfast. Gabby slid off the roof of the truck onto the hood before jumping down. Her shirt came up a little as she got off and she went to take the food from Tessa when the same blonde came up behind her.

"Are you bit?" Those three little words broke through the camp until everyone's eyes, full of fear, were on Gabby. The blonde went to lift the back of her shirt but Gabby stepped away from her. "Let me see. You have to show us."

"I don't have to show you anything," Gabby shot back. She wasn't claustrophobic but at the moment she felt as though everyone was caging her in like some rabid animal that was going to lash out at any second.

Shane walked up behind the blonde, "If Andrea saw something that looks like a bite we have the right to know." Merle jumped off the truck, his boots hitting the ground causing a small cloud of dust to rise. Tessa moved to stand in front of Gabby, not knowing what was going on but not liking the way everyone was eyeing her as a threat. Shane rested his gun on his shoulder and tilted his head to the side, "Look, man, it's not that hard either she is bit or she isn't."

"She ain't," Merle growled, his hand clenching into a fist ready to lay him out at a moment's notice. Daryl circled the group from the back before coming up to the side, waiting to see if Shane was going to make a move on his brother or the women.

Andrea crossed her arms over her chest, looking to Shane to take care of the problem, "I saw it. It's on her back."

Gabby ran a hand over her back and winced when her fingers touched where the bark had scraped her up the night before. She let out a dry chuckle and stepped around Tessa, standing next to Merle who wouldn't let her go any further. She pulled up her shirt and turned her back to the group.

"This what you saw?" There was a sharp intake of air before glares were shot at Merle. Gabby shook her head and pulled her shirt back down. "The hell do you all think he did? He fucked me for God's sake. Good Lord."

The group that had formed around them slowly broke apart and Andrea gave Gabby one last look before returning to her sister. Gabby's temper was at an all time high and she started to pace a bit. Tessa handed her and Merle their breakfast as Daryl came closer so the four of them could talk.

"Why would she think you were bit?" Tessa questioned as Gabby walked back and forth in front of her. "Why does a bite mark make you a threat? What you and Grumpy do in the woods is your own damn business."

While Tessa had been more concerned about finding out where every one was from at dinner last night Daryl had been listening to the men talk about the outbreak. He shared a look with Merle before adjusting the strap of his crossbow. "It's how you turn into…one of them things. Get bit, scratched, and there ain't nothin' you can do."


	8. Chapter 8

Chapter 8

Clothes lines. Tents. Tables. Chairs. Tarps. They had come in and set up camp the way they wanted it. The Dixon's were off to the side and although they didn't want anything to do with the group from the highway Gabby felt the shift in power. Shane took the reins of handing out who should do laundry, who should be on watch and when, and even had the nerve to approach the Dixon men about hunting for the group. Tessa had easily fallen into the community routine, often helping Carol with home schooling the children throughout the day. While she was eager to lend a helping hand whenever she could, Gabby was just as likely to go out of her way to avoid everyone but the Dixons. Daryl spent most of his days in the woods just to escape and Merle chose the route of deceptive elation.

It wasn't until more people were brought to their camp that Gabby really lost her patience. The hope of ever having her sanctuary back had completely dissipated and every decision from then on had been made out of hate. Hate for the people, hate for the loss of peace, and hate for their sorry excuse for a life in general.

The air was still heavy with tension between Gabby and Tessa but they had been each other's rocks for so long it was hard to ignore everything they'd been through together even if they tried. Tessa sat next to Gabby down by the lake content in sitting in silence until Gabby spoke up. "I used to imagine…what it'd be like, you know? The end of the world. I always thought it would be more…romantic in a sense." She paused to skip a rock into the water and watched it dance twice before sinking to the bottom. "I always thought there'd be tears, people saying goodbye. Maybe even a sacrifice or two. But it'd end. It would all turn out good like some perfect ending to a movie. The sun would rise and we would all just start over. Now? Now it's just…tragic. A waiting game with uncertainty. Anxious."

Tessa chewed her bottom lip as she gazed out across the lake, trying to think of a response. "Gab…"

"I don't need to hear it," she was cut off though there was no malice behind her words only exhaustion from hearing the constant verse of positivity too many times. "I do need to ask you something though."

Tessa's eyes rolled towards her friend's face, waiting, unsure of what to expect. "Anything," she answered ready to give her honest opinion on whatever came from her friend's mouth and honestly a little relieved that they were speaking again.

Gabby stuck her hands in her pockets and looked toward the rock wall on the other side of the water, not bothering to face Tessa. "You trust me, right?"

Tessa nodded immediately, "with my life." Gabby still hadn't glanced over to her and Tessa pressed on getting a nervous ball in the pit of her stomach. "Why?"

Gabby was silent a minute, her head going to the side as Merle made his way out of the woods. His eyes landed on her for a brief second before he swiped his hand underneath his nose. "We need to leave."

Tessa stilled, her entire face falling at Gabby's words. It had been quite some time at the quarry now and although there wasn't an overall harmony in the group, there was a silent type of agreement amongst everyone. Everyone contributed to keep the machine oiled and running in their sorry excuse of a community. She wouldn't be able to say how much time. That was no longer a necessity to keep track of it but she had become comfortable. "I know you still don't like that they're all here, but you have to admit-"

"It's not that," Gabby sighed, picking at a hangnail. "It's not safe here anymore."

Tessa's eyes scanned the area around them looking for any immediate danger but only saw Merle's back as he headed towards camp. "What do you mean? Did something happen?"

"No," Gabby slightly shook her head and looked Tessa straight in the eye. "But we need to leave before something does." Tessa went to open her mouth but the seriousness in Gabby's eyes kept her quiet. "There's too many people here. Too much of a risk. We don't need them to survive, Tessa. All we need is the four of us."

"You sound more like Merle at the moment than yourself."

"Merle knows how to survive."

Her toes began to tap against the loose gravel beneath her feet. "I just…why do you think something will happen? What have you heard?"

Sighing loudly Gabby ran her hand through her hair, her fingers catching in a loose tangle. Picking it apart in her hand, she continued in hopes that Tessa would just accept what she had to say instead of fighting her on it. "Things are changing. Merle says the animals are moving away which means that they're afraid. Something's coming."

Tessa scrunched her eyebrows. "Then why not tell the others? Have them come with us? If there's going to be danger, don't you think more protection would help?"

"We don't need them. You really think any of them will protect you better than Daryl or Merle."

Tessa pulled her bottom lip between her teeth. "I want to believe they would try. I mean, I fought against all three of you stubborn assholes so they could stay. You don't think they appreciate that? That they'd help?"

"Appreciation doesn't mean loyalty."

"But there's children here…families…" Tessa couldn't understand the hardness behind Gabby's tone. "Why would you want to leave them in danger?"

Gabby was getting annoyed at the lack of trust her friend had in her and abruptly stood, brushing off the back of her pants. "You start caring about everyone else's safety and you won't have your own to worry about. I'm

serious, Tessa. This isn't up for debate. Merle and I are already packed. We're leaving."

"And where are we going to go that's better than this?"

"We'll find something. I know we will." There was a sharp whistle and both girls turned to see Shane headed their way. "Don't say anything. It's none of his business what we do."

Shane made his way down the dirt path and stood in front of the two women, his hands resting on his hips with mock authority. "Seems we have a bit of a problem." Gabby glared at him waiting for him to continue while Tessa got off the ground, curious as to what it could be. "Food and ammo is missing. You wouldn't happen to know anything about that, would you?"

He stared at Gabby but Tessa was the one to answer. "Of course not. Who would have done that?"

"That's what I'd like to find out."

Gabby flashed him a smile. "Good luck with that. Hate to hear we have someone we can't trust sleeping next to us. A wolf in the chicken coop is never a good thing."

"Keep your eyes open. You see anything let me know."

_Gabby was almost giddy and Merle hushed her, pointing a thick finger in her face. "Don't go fucking shit up."_

_"Love you too," she winked, blowing him a sarcastic smile as she headed for Jacqui's tent. It wasn't about stealing, it was more them unknowingly paying for their extended stay. Besides, if the Dixons were going to move on then they needed supplies._

"Hope you find whoever is behind it," Tessa answered Shane with a small nod, her brow creased in thought.

**X-X-X**

Later that day when the sun had started its decent below the tree lines Tessa strolled around camp with Gabby's words playing through her mind. These were good people; people that deserved a chance to survive just as much as the next. She contemplated saying something when she saw Lori attempting to carry a large pot of water over to the fire. She quickened her pace and grabbed the other side, earning a tight smile from the thin brunette. "Thanks."

"No problem," Tessa smiled back and was about to walk away when Lori called her name out almost hesitantly. She turned to face the woman, "Yeah?"

"Shane told me he noticed some things missing. I've been asking around to see if anyone else has."

Tessa nodded at her words, "He mentioned it. Haven't noticed anything myself."

Lori brushed her bangs out of her eyes and regarded Tessa for a minute. "What about Daryl and Merle? Gabby?"

"What about them?"

"You four are the only ones who don't have anything missing. It-"

"Hold on." Tessa sharply cut her off. "The Dixons might be a little rough around the edges and Gabby isn't going to be inviting you to any tea parties any time soon but they are good people."

"I wasn't insinuating that it was them. It just seems curious is all." Her tone of voice was supposed to be placating but Tessa was nothing but loyal to her group especially when someone was going to blatantly blame them for something she believed they didn't do.

"You think maybe that's because our tents are away from yours? Or maybe you all act like they're some rabid animals instead of people? You haven't exactly been welcoming to them."

"Having a good day, ladies?" Dale handed Lori a few cans of food, sensing the tension and wanting to eliminate it.

"Just fine," Lori answered while Tessa let out a long breath with a forced smile.

"Think I'll go see what the thieves are up to," Tessa quipped as she turned to leave. Lori made a face at her comment as Dale followed.

"Tessa, hold up a minute. Now, I don't mean to pry but I overheard your conversation. I understand your concern and care for the three of them but don't you think it warrants some questioning?"

Tessa faced the man who had been nothing but friendly to her up until that point. "We let you all stay here with us. I welcomed you in when they told me not to and this is what you do with the hospitality?" She rolled her eyes and shook her head while sticking her tongue in her cheek. Gabby's words suddenly made sense and Tessa felt like a fool, fighting her friend and family with the idea that there was still good in the world. "You know, you guys may act real nice to me, keeping the peace, pretending this is some family friendly group, but you're a sham. You owe us, them, me, and you do nothing but judge the minute you see a shadow on the ground regardless of how much they've contributed. They didn't take your shit and they don't deserve you blaming them. Why don't you go ask the asshole who keeps his family separated at the fire." She threw her arm in Ed's direction as she walked away from Dale leaving him speechless, for once, and she couldn't believe the lack of faith these people had. "If you even _think_ about coming and searching our shit for crap you probably lost on your own stupidity, I won't even blink an eye when Merle snaps your fucking neck."

Gabby couldn't keep the smirk off her face as Tessa stormed past her, "Bad day, red?"

"We fucking leave in the morning."

**X-X-X**

Tessa stepped through the flap of the tent, exhausted from the day. She felt like she was stuck back in high school with all the drama and she was actually ready to leave in the morning. Gabby had been right, they didn't these people. Closing the flap behind her, she lit the lantern and took her hair out of its clip. She pulled her shirt over her head but when she heard the zipper on the tent she tried to cover herself back up.

Daryl stepped through and she let out a sigh, dropping her shirt to the floor. His eyes swept her body and flicked off the lantern that had shown her silhouette through the canvas of the tent. Their tent was far enough away from the rest of the group but there was no way he was going to share that image with anyone else. It was really the first time since breakfast that they got a chance to just breathe. Tessa toed out of her shoes as Daryl took the crossbow off his back and placed next to their cot. She went to undo her pants when his hands were on her hips, pulling her closer to him.

She closed her eyes a second as her fingers trailed up his bare arms to his biceps and slightly tightened her grasp, feeling the tension he held there. He ducked his head and kissed her cheek. It was feather light, barely ghosting her skin, but it sent a pool of desire between her legs that she was ready to drown in.

Tessa tried to shift on her feet to calm the ache but his hands on her hips kept her from doing so. Her fingertips pressed into his arms as a silent protest for him turning her on and leaving her waiting. It had been too long of a day and she wanted to forget everything else except for the man standing in front of her. He dipped his head again this time kissing her other cheek just as lightly. She turned her head, her lips searching for his, and he gave her a quick peck. She almost growled for such a meager kiss to be given but the growl turned to a moan as his lips trailed the side of her neck, his sparse scruff scraping across her skin.

His hands left her hips as they ran over her skin. One hand went to the button on her pants while the other undid the clasp of her bra. Her fingers immediately went to the buttons on his shirt, fumbling with inaccuracy as she tried to rid him of his clothes. When his shirt was hanging open, her hands ran over his chest, reveling in the heat his body was emitting. They took a moment to remove their loose clothing, leaving him still dressed from the waist down. She stepped away from him and sat on the cot, slipping a hand in her panties and running a finger through her heat. As if it were a direct command he took off his boots and pants, causing a blush to come to her cheeks when she noticed he had gone commando.

Tessa continued to ease the ache between her legs, pushing her panties to the side so he could see. He stroked himself in time with her hand and her head tipped back as she inserted a finger. He knelt next to the cot and used his knife to cut away her thin panties. The cool metal against her hip bone had her retracting her hand but a moment later Daryl had his middle finger rubbing circles on her most sensitive nub. Her legs fell shamelessly open for him as he inserted two fingers and arched them in a come hither motion. She grabbed his wrist, the feeling he was giving her almost too much to bear, but he didn't relent. She flooded his fingers and he worked her through her orgasm.

"Daryl."

One word. Just his name, spilling from her lips with such lust and longing that he hovered over her for a moment before exchanging his fingers for himself. She wasn't sure how he was able to take her breath away every single time but she shifted her hips and urged him on. Her nails bit into his back with every thrust and when to speak Daryl covered her mouth with his own.

"Gotta be quiet," he muttered in her ear, his hot breath washing over her like pure sin. She quickly nodded, biting her bottom lip as he pounded into her without remorse. Her heels dug into the small of his back, driving him deeper inside of her until she was so close to the edge that her vision danced in front of her. "Fuck, Tess."

She tightened around him and turned her head, biting into his arm to keep herself as silent as possible. The shot of pain up his arm was enough to have him spilling himself inside of her. Her legs unwound from him and he settled on the cot next to her. As he lay on his back, one arm thrown over his eyes while the other held her to his side Tessa knew. Family had to come first and in the morning they would head out on their own.


	9. Chapter 9

Chapter 9

Leaving the quarry had been as uneventful as Gabby expected it to be but she couldn't find it in herself to care. They were up before the crack of dawn with their tents packed in the back of Daryl's truck, the only sign of them ever being there was a few footprints on the dusty ground. Glenn had been sitting on top of the RV on watch and with a squeak of a voice asked where they were all going. He didn't get an answer, he didn't need one because it was none of his business, and he didn't have the nerve to stand in the way of the Dixons.

For a brief moment as Gabby rode on the back of Merle's bike she forgot about everything else going on around her. There wasn't death and destruction but a sense of their old life that she was stuck in a daydream with. Her thighs were pressed against him, her hands lightly fisted in the sides of his shirt, her eyes closed as the wind stripped away her stress. The world beneath her was moving, going on and ignoring her, instead of pressing down as a threat. It didn't matter that there was no destination in mind or that they left the one place that they had considered safe. They had each other.

She opened her eyes as she felt the bike start to slow down and tensed automatically thinking the worst. Gabby scanned the area searching for any danger but couldn't see anything. That didn't mean it wasn't there though the true evils of the world were disguised as the most delicate flowers. Merle pulled off to the side allowing Daryl to pull up next to him. They decided that they were far enough away from the quarry after driving most of the day and needed to find somewhere to hold up for the night.

They hadn't seen anyone living or reanimated for at least the last hour but they couldn't afford to be reckless. Gabby and Tessa stayed by the truck while Merle and Daryl broke off into the woods, each going in a different direction, to scope out the area. Daryl came back and mentioned a cabin tucked away that he had already cleared. Tessa went to object about them staying in a place that belonged to someone else but she saw the smallest of smiles pull at the corner of Gabby's lips. She hadn't minded sleeping in a tent, the truck, or on the ground but the thought of sleeping within four walls was a comfort she hadn't realized she had been longing for.

The Dixons backed in the truck and the bike towards the cabin in case they needed a quick getaway. The cabin wasn't much, solid wood with thin windows and meager furniture but it might as well have been a five star hotel. Gabby flicked the switch on the wall in hopes that somehow this place might have been spared but the lights never came on. Tessa moved around the cabin opening the curtains to let in as much natural light as possible as she heard a laugh coming from the kitchen. Gabby stood there almost glowing with happiness. "There's running water."

Hope sprung in Tessa's eyes, "You mean we can shower?"

"Well, if you want to freeze your tits off then yeah. There's no electric so unless this place is heated by something else that's going to be one fucking cold shower."

Tessa wiggled her eyebrows, "I'm sure there's a few ways we could think to keep warm in those showers." Her mind going to the night before and the way Daryl's hands slid over her body.

"Ain't doin' none of that shit unless I can watch," Merle walked past the two with such a serious tone in his voice that they couldn't help but take the bait.

"Okay," Gabby shrugged, causing him freeze mid step and raise an eyebrow. She pulled Tessa closer to her by her belt loops and watched as Merle swallowed.

Tessa stuck her hands in Gabby's back pockets of her jeans to hold her close and leaned in to kiss her. She was so close that their breaths were mixing in the air between them. Merle was almost afraid to blink in case he missed something and was sure he must be hallucinating. Just before their lips touched the two broke into a fit of laughter and pulled away from each other.

"Oh, you're too easy, Grumpy," Tessa laughed as she went back to the living room. A deep scowl set on his face and Gabby blew him a sarcastic kiss.

"Ain't nice to tease a man, sugar."

Daryl had gone out to find them something to eat for dinner and give the area another sweep to make sure they really would be safe. Tessa had started setting up their sleeping bags in the living room while Gabby sat on the worn couch taking it all in. It was almost too easy to fall back into the delusion that everything was right with the world but at that moment it was. Merle sat at the table putting his gun back together after having cleaned it. His hands moved methodically and Gabby was sure he could have done it with his eyes closed. An open bottle of Jack he had found in the bare cabinets sat in front of him and she wondered if maybe they could figure out a way to stay here. It was small but that didn't bother her she had her family.

"What's this?"

Tessa's question brought her attention away from watching Merle to see what her friend was talking about. When she saw the silver necklace with the heart locket and wedding ring she wasn't sure how to feel. Part of her felt guilty for taking such a sentimental item but if she was being completely honest she was still proud of herself for taking it in the first place.

"Is…" Tessa trailed off as she held up the piece of jewelry for Gabby to see. "Isn't this Lori's?" When Gabby didn't answer right away the realization hit Tessa. "They were right," she whispered, her anger spiking as she came to stand in front of Gabby. "Why would you even do something like that?!"

"That bony bitch doin' you on the side or something to get you all upset?" Merle's question held an air of humor to it that only set Tessa on edge. A deep chuckle shook his shoulders, "Shit, didn't think you were the materialistic type. I'll have to warn my brother so he knows to cut you off quick."

Tessa glared at Merle over her shoulder before throwing the necklace to Gabby, "I can't even look at you two right now."

"They got what they deserved and not an ounce more," Gabby stated.

Tessa slipped on her hoodie as she headed for the front door. "It's not your responsibility to be handing out karma. It doesn't work like that. You've only just made it worse for yourself."

The door slammed shut behind her and Gabby got off the couch, snatching the bottle away from Merle. She took a shot and passed it back to him. He smirked a bit as his eyes ran over her body leaving a scorching heat wherever they landed. "Look at you pickin' shit that is sure to sting. Been rubbin' off on you in more ways than I thought."

"Told you we should have left her with them. Has she always had this much of a fucking bleeding heart?"

Gabby paced the floor in front of Merle as he took another hearty swallow from the bottle. It wasn't doing much for the seasoned drinker but the slight burn in the back of his throat made it all worth it. She suddenly threw her leg over Merle's lap so that she was straddling him and one of his hands came to her waist to keep her steady. She stared into his eyes for a moment, almost begging for his approval for what she had done, before rolling her hips. He set the bottle on the floor next to them and grabbed her hips as she rolled them again. His callused hand ran up her smooth back under her shirt and she leaned further into him, catching his bottom lip with her teeth. It didn't matter that Daryl or Tessa could walk in at any minute and see them. Gabby only focused on the man in front of her, the only one who made her feel alive while the world around her was collapsing in on itself, the man she would do any and every thing for. Her hand wrapped around his dog tags to keep him in place as her tongue thanked him the only way she knew how. It was still new territory for Merle, someone so willingly putting their life in his hands, and though he didn't know how to accept that he shut his mind off and let his body do the work.

Gabby's shirt was just about over her head when they heard the first scream.

**X-X-X**

Tessa descended the front steps, marched past the truck, and just kept walking. Gabby had always been the one to run away from her problems when the world got too much to bear but Tessa didn't see it as running away. She needed to get away from them and clear her mind before she said something she regretted. There was no one around but her face flamed in embarrassment at her actions. She had defended them, she had gone up against the group based on a lie. She angrily muttered to herself as she stomped through the woods, leaves crunching beneath her feet and twigs snapping. Everything had changed too quickly and though she had been trying to keep it all together it abruptly fell on her shoulders with an unbearable amount of weight.

She couldn't understand how one minute she was sitting having food and drinks with Gabby and the next they were running for their lives. It happened too fast to comprehend what was happening and then they found stability again. They had formed a community and though it wasn't perfect it felt safe, secure, and right where they needed to be. She was ashamed that she let her loyalty blind her to what was happening right in front of her face. She was furious with the person Gabby was becoming in such a short period of time and she wanted to blame Merle. Her mind raced with questions she had no answers to. Had Daryl known about this all along? Did he agree to it? Had he helped?

It was consuming her every thought and she stopped to catch her breath. Her hands scrunched in her hair as she grit her teeth, trying to calm herself down. She thought she heard someone walking and she perked up, scanning the woods around her. She couldn't see anything but it was enough to sober her into heading back to the cabin. Movement to her right caught her eye and she froze, turning her head slowly to see what it was. Her heart stopped in her chest, not a single breath leaving her lungs, as she stared at a walker ten feet away from her. It was unlike anything she had ever seen before, bone sticking straight out from its shoulder and a patch of skin hanging off its face.

It wasn't until the low growl emitted that her feet started moving but her first thought wasn't getting back to the cabin it was getting away from the danger. She tried to run but there was too many moss covered rocks and downed trees that there was no clear path. While her steps were faltered the walker, although stumbling, doesn't relent and kept getting closer. A scream left her throat that was full of pure terror. She wasn't watching where she was going, her head turned to make sure she knew where that thing was at all times, and when she felt a hand on her arm she let out another scream.

**X-X-X**

Gabby was almost knocked on the floor as Merle stood, grabbing his gun from the table and making it to the front door in three large steps. He paused for the briefest of moments as Gabby took out her own gun, "Don't let anyone in but us, you hear? Always shoot first."

"That was Tess," Gabby shook her head and followed him out the door, having to take two steps for every one of his just to keep up.

He wanted to argue and tie her ass to a chair so she couldn't go anywhere but there wasn't any time. Gabby knew better than to say anything else and she let Merle lead the way. There was a second scream and Merle's pace picked up as he jutted off to the left. He came across the walker with a bold sticking out of its forehead and looked up to see Tessa a ball of emotions, clutching to his brother like a damn koala bear.

Gabby's eyes stayed on the dead walker, images of her parents running through her mind, and she swallowed down the bile rising in her throat. Merle kept a trained eye on the area around them in case it wasn't just the one walker as Gabby finally looked away from the walker. "Tess, you alright?"

More tears were the only answer Gabby received and Daryl nodded to her, "She ain't bit."

She chewed on her bottom lip and touched Merle's arm to catch his attention. "Does this mean we have to leave now?"

Merle looked over to Daryl, scrunching his face in disgust as Tessa was still clinging to his brother, "What did you see out there?"

"Nothin' like back at the quarry. Should be alright for a night maybe two."


	10. Chapter 10

**For you, Panda, hope you feel better!**

**Side note: We haven't seen the last of the group in fact they will be back in the next chapter but just a warning I will be changing who will survive. Just because the Dixons weren't there doesn't mean the attack at the quarry never happened. It still did.**

Chapter 10

The cabin was so full of tension Gabby wasn't sure the four walls would be able to hold it. Tessa had finally stopped crying but every now and then her breath would hitch and it was setting Merle on edge. He had already snapped at her twice and threatened to gag her if she didn't shut up. Daryl, although understanding of Tessa's fear, had shot words back at his brother. It would have been easier if the world hadn't turned on its axis and they were able to just have their own space for awhile but they couldn't do that here.

Gabby was sitting by, watching everyone, and taking it all in. Tessa had been naïve today, running off into the woods, though Gabby tried not to fault her too much. In reality, she had done the same thing at the quarry but they knew they were safe there. Or so she had hoped. She was beginning to wonder if there was anywhere they could go and really not have to worry. Her eyes landed on Merle as his jaw twitched in annoyance, his body going rigid with each deep inhale Tessa took. Gabby needed to break the tension before she drowned in it, allowing it to tear down her walls and leave her vulnerable. She grabbed what was left of the bottle of Jack in one hand and Merle's arm with the other. "We're taking the back room tonight."

She shut the thin door and slid the lock into place as Merle dropped heavily onto the futon. She tossed him the bottle of Jack that he easily caught, unscrewing the top to take another drink. She knelt between his spread legs, her hands going working his belt loose while her eyes never left his. He lifted his hips so she pulled his pants down his legs. He was only half hard as she ran her hand over him but within what seemed like seconds he was throbbing in her petite hands. She flicked her tongue over the tip before tracing the vein up the back of his dick. A deep growl vibrated through his chest as he wound a hand in her hair and forced her mouth to take him. She hummed around him, happy that she was able to please him so easily, and his grip tightened in her hair. He thrust into her mouth and she took everything he had to give her until ropes of come were shooting down the back of her throat.

Gabby wiped the corner of her mouth with her thumb as he pulled his pants back up around his hips but left them undone. She sat next to him and laid her legs across his lap as she reclined. "Where do we go from here?"

"Ain't no one told you to stop, Gab."

She ignored him with an eye roll. "Do we even have a plan in mind or are we going to just keep moving like some dysfunctional nomads?" Gabby didn't even give him a chance to respond before she closed her eyes and settled further into the futon. "You know what? Doesn't matter. I trust you."

"The hell you mumbling about?" He moved her legs closer to his body to get comfortable.

"I love you, Merle."

He shifted beneath her as he finished the rest of the liquor. "Get some sleep, darlin', you're delusional."

**X-X-X**

Tessa sat on the couch next to Daryl with her knees to her chest and her arms wrapped around them. She was seemingly staring off into space her mind running through everything that happened. She was dumb, naïve, embarrassed, and ashamed. If she hadn't run off like some petulant child then she wouldn't have put herself in harm's way. She thought again of the walker and a tear slipped down her cheek. Had she not run into Daryl she could have died and while death alone terrified her she also didn't want to put that burden on Daryl or Gabby either. Hell, for as much of an asshole Merle had been when they got back to the cabin she deserved it. Every foul word because it was her own stupidity. She felt Daryl's arm drape across the back of the couch and she leaned into his side.

"I'm sorry," she whispered so softly that if he hadn't been sitting so close he would have missed it.

Daryl made a noise in the back of his throat to indicate he heard her but wasn't about to forgive her so quickly. She had just scared the shit out of him today when he heard her scream.

"It was them, you know. That stole from the rest of the group."

"Doesn't surprise me."

"They screwed us and I just got so angry. I know it was stupid. Trust me. I get that now. But we had everything we needed there and now…" she trailed off, not wanting to spill her fears. She glanced to where Merle and Gabby had disappeared to before looking back to Daryl. "I'm scared they screwed our chances of surviving."

Daryl studied her face for a moment, running her words over in his mind. "Think we can't make it on our own?"

"Can we?" She asked immediately shot back and then softened her tone when she realized how it must have sounded. "Daryl, you saved my life today." He opened his mouth to say something and she put her finger to his lips. "Don't. You did. I don't doubt you _or_ Merle's ability to keep me, us, safe but it can't just be the four of us forever. We need other people."

**X-X-X**

The next morning the two women searched the tiny cabin for anything they could use while Merle and Daryl were outside deciding what their next move should be. Gabby was kneeling on the counters in the kitchen to look in the very back of the top cabinets where she found some canned goods. She handed them down to Tessa who was packing them into a canvas bag.

"I can handle all this shit around me." Tessa stated suddenly, needing to just talk to her best friend after the scare she had the day before. "And if I can't right now, I'll learn to. You know I will. But I just don't know how much longer I can take without pizza." Gabby shot her a glare out of the corner of her eye and Tessa held her hands up in mock surrender. "I mean think about it. No more stuffed crust…no more delicious cheese…"

"Are you fucking serious right now?" Gabby grunted as she jumped off the counter and crouched down to check under the sink.

Tessa grinned, "Got you to talk to me."

"Who invited you?"

"You did. To the bar. Remember? Because I punched Pete."

"That was a long time ago."

"…it hasn't been _that_ long."

Silence fell between the two of them at the realization of how short the amount of time had been. Gabby hung her head and picked at her chipped nail polish that was almost all off by now as she thought about Pete. At least one positive thing came about with the apocalypse, there was no way that incompetent asshole survived and she found a comfort in the thought. "Yeah, well, looking back isn't going to do any good. We have to just keep looking forward now."

"And what do you see ahead of you, Gabby? Cause lately I've been afraid that that whatever you see ahead of you doesn't include anyone or anything but you and Merle."

"You have a problem with Merle?" Gabby's question was sharp and disbelieving, ready to defend him at a moment's notice.

Tessa sighed, "Grumpy isn't my problem. It's whoever this new person is that you're becoming."

"Oh hop off your high horse for fuck's sake, Red, it's not like I shot a man in Reno just to watch him die." She slammed the cabinet door closed and stood up, brushing off her knees.

"Okay, one, you are no where _near_ Johnny Cash's level so you just recognize that _right_ now. And two, I'm not trying to act like I'm on some high horse. And if I was, my ass would be too preoccupied in trying to get you on top of it with me. I don't do shit without you, Gabby. You're my family, and damn near all I got left. Just because you're alive doesn't mean you're not acting like you're already dead."

Daryl walked in the front door, his usually quiet steps echoing through the cabin as his boots thudded against the wooden floors. Gabby took it as her way out of the conversation and finished sweeping the cabin to make sure nothing got left behind.

"All good?" Daryl nodded to where Gabby had just slipped into the back room.

Tessa shrugged with a sigh. "Hope so."

He raised an eyebrow and looked to where Gabby had disappeared to. When she didn't immediately return he motioned to the canvas bag of goodies they found. "Put that in the truck, will ya? And ask Merle to double check the bungee cords." Tessa nodded, grabbing the pack and heading out the front door to the vehicles while Daryl stepped into the back room. "What'd she do now?"

"She's dumb."

He leaned against the doorframe with him thumbs hooked under his arms. Daryl didn't say anything else, just waiting her out because he knew she wouldn't be able to keep quiet long. She rolled the empty bottle of Jack between her hands and shook her head. "Maybe you can talk to her. Get her to understand."

Daryl's brow creased in confusion, expecting her to vent or rant but her voice was so monotone that it didn't sit right with him. "What's that?"

"It's not like it was before, Daryl." She dropped the bottle, hoping it would smash but it just rolled under the futon. "She can't go handing out daisies expecting to make friends. She needs to know it's the four of us now. That's it. We don't need anyone else and we look out for our own."

"You two pussies done gossiping about who got more dick last night so make we can actually get somewhere today." Merle came up behind Daryl and clapped him on the back hard enough to pitch him forward a bit. "C'mon get the lead out."

Gabby stared Daryl in the eyes as she passed him in hopes her words would resonate with him because Tessa needed to listen to someone.

**X-X-X**

"Would you two shut the fuck up!?" Gabby pleaded as Merle and Daryl glared at each other.

They should have known they were going to run out of gas sooner or later but of course as luck would have it there wasn't a single car around that they could siphon any out of. Merle had argued that he wasn't just going to leave his bike on the side of the road like it was Daryl's fault the tank was empty. Daryl's truck had been running on fumes as it was.

Tessa laid out a map across the hood of the truck, running her finger along one of the roads. "Okay, I think we are somewhere around here."

"Well, unless your magic map is going to piss out gasoline it ain't going to do us no good," Merle spat, glaring at Daryl one more time before scanning the area around them for walkers.

Tessa was barely able to bite her tongue, "No, Merle, but there is a highway just on the other side of these woods. I'm sure there is plenty of gas there." She turned to Daryl who was the least likely out of all of them to yell at her at the moment. "It's worth a shot, right?"

It took them twenty more minutes of arguing before the four of them were traipsing through the woods in search of the highway. Merle and Daryl lead the way, senses on high alert as the listened to what the habitat was telling them. They came across a camp site with only one tent and Merle unzipped the flap without warning, gun raised and ready to take out human or walker alike. A rotten corpse with maggots crawling along its decaying skin was the only thing inside and he found a small handgun that he tucked in the back of Gabby's pants.

Tessa shot Daryl a look and shook her head. Those two were getting too comfortable in taking what wasn't there's but at least this one had already passed away. They moved further into the woods until Daryl stopped, holding his hand up to instruct the others to do the same. Gabby trained her ears to see if she could hear what he did but came up with nothing. He motioned to the left with his crossbow, finger hovering over the trigger just waiting for the walker to make its appearance. Merle looked though the scope on his gun, more than ready to take something out.

Tessa gasped as it came into view.

"Sophia?"


	11. Chapter 11

**I apologize for the lack of updates. 2015 is turning out to be a very busy year but I hope you enjoy this chapter. I'm trying to play around a little bit with who dies, who lives, and when. As always, let me know what you think :)**

Chapter 11

The little girl was out of breath and her hair a tangled mess with a tight grip on the doll in her hands. Relief flooded Sophia's features for a brief moment as she locked eyes with Tessa before they filled with fear again, running right over to her and wrapping her arms around her waist.

"What's she doing out here all alone?" Gabby questioned, not entirely thrilled about seeing someone from their old group but feeling bad for the girl all the same.

Tessa crouched down in front of Sophia, pushing the hair from her face and keeping a hand on cheek as a physical reminder that she wasn't all alone. "Sweetie, where's your mom?"

Sophia's eyes wandered to the stern looking men that she remembered weren't too friendly. "She's back…by the car."

"And where's the car? Why are you alone?"

The words came tumbling out of Sophia's mouth at a speed the group seemed unable to keep up with. A few key words stood out though that caught their attention like _highway_, _walkers_, and _ran_.

"Jesus, we ain't never going to learn what she's doing if she don't slow down."

Tessa glared at Daryl over her shoulder as she tried to comfort the girl in front of her.

"You said there were walkers on the highway?" Gabby asked, a sliver of fear creeping its way up her spine. At Sophia's minute nod she shifted on her feet. "How many?"

"I don't know. A lot. Maybe as many that came through camp."

The group exchanged looks ranging from fear to disbelief to even anger and annoyance. When Sophia began to fidget Tessa turned back to her, pulling her into her side. "Okay, okay." She tried to keep her own building fear out of her voice. "You were chased off the highway? Does that mean walkers are coming? Does your mom know you're missing?"

Tessa could feel her shaking as she took a deep breath and hiked up her loose pants again. The Dixon men kept their eyes trained on the surrounding area for any sign of a threat while the women tried figured out what to do with the girl.

"We were hiding…under the car just like Mr. Grimes said. I could see my mom a few cars away but I don't know where my dad went or my uncle."

"And you ended up runnin' through the woods for fun or somethin'?"

"Merle," Tessa shot another glare, this time at the eldest Dixon who easily ignored it.

Gabby interjected before things got too out of hand. "What he's trying to say is how did you get from under the car to running through the woods alone?"

"I thought the coast was clear. One of them tried to get me and I got scared and ran."

"And this is where you ended up?" Gabby questioned, trying to piece together what happened.

Sophia shook her head, "No, Mr. Grimes said to stay put."

"Under the car?" Tessa asked.

"Under a tree."

Gabby scrunched her forehead in confusion, "A tree by the highway?"

"No, in the river."

Daryl huffed in annoyance to Merle, "Ain't goin' to get no answers out of her at this rate." He turned his attention back to the area around them, muttering under his breath, "Sittin' in the middle the damn woods playin' twenty questions."

"You know, I'm about sick of both of you," Tessa snapped over her shoulder before a man came crashing out of the woods and raised a gun in their direction.

The man's gun was aimed at Daryl one second and Merle the next as if trying to decide which the bigger threat was. His white shirt was anything but and it clung to him in the humidity of the day. Gabby moved slowly, putting her hand behind her back so she could pull out the handgun Merle had given her for back up.

"Mr. Grimes," Sophia's voice broke through the tension filled air. "This is Miss Dawson."

Not one of them moved, the introduction to this man gave her no reassurance, and Tessa tightened her hold on Sophia. The stranger noticed the slight movement, his eyes flickering to the redhead for a brief moment. "Let the girl go."

"I'm not going to do that," Tessa argued, straightening up and moving Sophia behind her.

"I don't want to have to hurt any of you," he tried, the plea evident in his voice.

In a flash guns and the crossbow were aimed at the stranger. "Ain't goin' to get the chance."

"You don't want to do that," the man spoke with an authority that made the Dixon men scowl. Gabby, however, found this new man intriguing. Though he spoke with authority there was a genuine tone hidden beneath his southern drawn words, one that she hadn't heard in some time, and one that had her lowering her own gun. "You shoot me and those walkers will be down on us in no time."

"Then put your own gun down, _Mr. Grimes_," Gabby spit out his name, tasting it on her tongue and trying to decide what his true intensions were. She had no connection with the girl but she wasn't heartless either and she wasn't just going to hand a kid over to a stranger. "Where you taking her?"

He never lowered his gun but he did turn his attention to who was speaking. "To her family."

"How can we trust you?"

As the men continued to keep their weapons aimed, Grimes continued to explain. "I'm traveling with her family…our group. We were run out of our home. A quarry. Where we thought we were safe. We had-"

"We know what you had," Merle cut in, his finger itching to pull the trigger. His conscious telling him to grab the knife he had and stab the fucker in front of him while the devil on his shoulder was begging him to throw caution to the wind and just shoot him. "That was our land."

"Miss Dawson," Sophia pulled on Tessa's hand to get her attention. When Tessa looked down she forced a smile that was too perfected for a child her age. "It's okay. I know him."

Tessa turned her back to the man and bent to the girl's level. "I understand you know him, Sophia, but I cannot let you go with him alone. It's my job to keep you safe."

"'Cause you're my teacher?"

"That's part of it," Tessa mumbled as she stood up, squaring her shoulders and taking Sophia's hand. "If you want to see her back to her family, you take us with you. So I know she's safe."

Gabby gaped at Tessa's statement, the color quickly draining from her face. True, she didn't want to risk putting this little girl in harm's way but heading in the direction of known walkers was just plain stupid if not suicidal. "Tess, I think we need to discuss this first."

"We don't have to stay, Gabrielle," Tessa sighed with impatience, not having the energy to get into another argument about how all they needed was each other. Sophia tugged on her pants again to pull them up and Tessa took her hair out of its tie, crouching down to tie two of her belt loops together to make them more snug. Tessa knew they were safe with the Dixons but if there was a need to run she didn't want the little girl to worry about holding onto her pants. "We get her back to her family…get some gas from the cars…and go on about our happy lives." She glanced at Daryl who had lowered his crossbow an inch when the man lowered his gun completely. "I can't just leave her out here all alone."

A war waged inside of Daryl between wanting to be a callous asshole and hand the girl over to this man and a responsible adult that remembered when he was the young kid lost in the woods without anyone to look for him. He also looked from Merle who was about three seconds away from losing his shit to Tessa who was pleading with him, her eyes kind and hopeful. One last glance at Sophia and he shouldered his crossbow, stalking off in the direction the stranger had come from. He only got a few feet before scowling over his shoulder. "Comin' or what? Ain't got all day."

Tessa moved past the man, Sophia's hold still tight in her grasp, as she followed after Daryl. Grimes looked from Gabby to Merle before turning and seeming to second guess his action of putting his back to these strangers. Gabby didn't move as Merle audibly growled behind her. Her eyes shot to him as his finger ghosted the trigger of his gun one last time, finally lowering it and pushing her in front of him.

"Ain't ready for that warm welcome," he bit, continuing to mutter obscenities under his breath about the people in the group.

Gabby would have agreed with him, let his anger fuel her own, but she couldn't stop thinking of the danger that lurked in the shadows that was too close for comfort. One day, that was all she wanted, just one day where she didn't have to look over her shoulder wondering when the next threat would appear. She had made the joke about being dysfunctional nomads and while she didn't have the need to have a place to call home, she did have the need to feel whole again.

Tessa caught up to Daryl as she did her best to not drag Sophia along with them. "Thank you," she told him without looking away from their path.

"Don't," he snapped before stepping ahead a foot or two.

Holding her head high, Tessa paused a moment before swallowing. This was the second time now she had made a decision that concerned her group and though she stood behind them both it left a tension in her shoulders that she was starting to get too used to.

"Miss Dawson?" Grimes questioned, coming up beside her. "You alright?"

"It's Tessa, please, and I'm fine. Just get us to her family."

Gabby and Merle followed, seeing the group broken up ahead. "Officer Friendly doesn't seem too trustworthy." Merle chuckled as Gabby climbed over a fallen tree.

"Officer?" Gabby questioned, her boot catching on a leaf covered rock and stumbling a bit. Her hand flashed out to grab a nearby sapling to keep her standing and she saw the amusement dance across Merle's face for a second. "How the hell you know he's a cop?"

"Been locked up enough to know the uniform, sweetheart."

"Yeah…well…Red needs to learn to keep her mouth shut. We drop the rug-rat and get back to our own shit. I'm not a fucking babysitter."

**X-X-X**

Daryl's slow steps brought the rest of the group to a halt, wondering what he saw or heard. Tessa gripped Sophia's hand tighter ready to run if need be as Grimes stepped up next to Daryl.

"Lori," he loudly whispered and Gabby rolled her eyes. He waited a moment before taking a step forward and repeating her name as he pushed away the brush separating the woods from the road.

Lori's eyes went wide as soon as she saw the people he was with. "Rick, how did you…Did they hurt you?"

"They wanted to make sure Sophia made it back to Carol safely."

Lori nodded her head, eyeing the group and reaching out her hand for the little girl. "Well, now you've seen. You can go now." Sophia went to take Lori's hand but Tessa pulled her back.

"The deal was I see her to Carol. Carol isn't here."

Lori looked offended as Tessa helped Sophia over the guardrail. "You know she's in our group."

"Yeah, well, turns out just because you're in a group doesn't mean you can trust it."

There was silence for a moment as boots against the pavement were heard before Shane emerged around a group of cars, "Lori, I didn't-" He stopped short seeing the small crowd. He recognized them instantly and a scoff of disbelief passed his lips. "You've got to be kidding me. You go looking for the girl and end up bringing back the assholes we thought we were rid of?"

Gabby pulled out her gun, causing the others to tense and lift their own weapons, minus Rick. "Put the guns down," he ordered.

Carol came around the corner and audibly gasped, breaking the tension for a moment. "Sophia?"

She pulled away from Tessa, setting out on a dead run toward her mother who was watching in awe and disbelief. Tears slipped down Carol's cheeks as she hugged her daughter and quickly assessed her for any injuries. "Thank God," she whispered, hugging Sophia s tightly as she could. The horrors that ran through her mind were unbearable and Ed hadn't even seemed to notice or care that his daughter had run off. Ever since they ran into his younger half brother as they tried for the CDC things had gotten worse. They were two of the most evil men Carol had ever laid eyes on with their leering stares, words as sharp as knives, and rough hands taking what they wanted without asking.

The CDC had been a pipedream, a crumbled pile of rubble when they drove up on it after staying an extra day at the quarry after the attack to bury the loved ones. Ed's brother had been found walking along the side of the road, dragging his pack behind him as dehydration set in. Carol played her part as the dutiful sister in-law, making sure to bring him water and food while he rested in the RV. His boyish good looks, devilish smirk, and dry humor caught Andrea's attention and she took over his care until he was back on his feet. Amy had played it up that her sister was disgusting her with her infatuation but deep down it was comforting to see something so normal in the midst of the never ending nightmare.

Shane only watched the reunion between mother and daughter for a second before resting his gun on his shoulder. "'Bout time you left now."

Daryl moved along the shoulder of the highway not bothering with small talk as he scavenged for a container to fill with gas. He was already ten car lengths away when Merle had wandered off to the left, undoubtedly scouring the vehicles for any weapons or drugs.

Tessa took a deep breath, "We aren't here for trouble. Move along if you want now that Sophia is back safe and sound. We'll be gone as soon as we can."

Gabby, uninterested in anything Shane or the rest of the group had to say, moved in the opposite direction the Dixons had gone in hopes of having better luck without having to deal with anyone. She heard Tessa's words to Shane but tuned them out as she strolled along the blacktop. She had already searched four cars when she first heard the laughter. Two men, if she had to guess but one sounded more tragic than the other, more familiar. She ignored it at first until she heard him speak, the glass bottle slipping from her hand, shattering as it hit the asphalt.

Her blood ran cold and she couldn't make herself move. Her mouth formed around words that couldn't get past her tongue. Tessa, hearing the glass shatter, turned to see what was wrong but when she saw Gabby standing next to a car with a broken bottle at her feet she figured it was dropped on accident. Tessa's eyes scanned the area to see if she could spot either Dixon if need be and saw Merle snacking on something he found while Daryl was too far away to see.

Gabby heard the men getting closer and dropped down to a crouch as if her body was on autopilot. The men passed by without seeing her but she was frozen in her spot, falling the rest of the way to the ground until she was sitting on her ass, her knees pulled up to her chest. He wasn't supposed to be here of all places, he was supposed to be dead. She rested her head on her knees, intrusting herself to take a deep breath and exhale it as slowly as possible. Her heart beat against her chest so hard that it physically hurt and she kept repeating in her mind that he was walking away. He was putting distance in between the two of them and he hadn't laid eyes on her.

It was then she was hit with the all too real realization that he was walking straight toward Tessa, worse yet, straight toward Merle. Gabby pushed herself off the ground, moving as quickly as she could through the maze of cars only to come up to see him with his tongue down Andrea's throat. Merle caught Gabby's eye and was about to go back to what he was doing when he noticed the pure panic. He started moving in her direction as Tessa came up beside Gabby, her mouth hung open in shock. Ed stepped around the corner looking angry and annoyed, pissed at even the sight of them. The other man though seemed stunned, a smirk pulling at the corner of his lips as he draped his arm over Andrea's shoulders.

Gabby swallowed, her voice coming out just over a whisper, "Pete."


End file.
